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FORT McMURRAY — While many consider March 21 the official start of spring, Environment Canada says meteorological spring begins on March 1.
With lingering winter conditions across Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo, including below-seasonal temperatures and record amounts of snow, the agency says a colder-than-normal pattern is expected to continue through the spring months of March, April and May across northern Alberta and the northern Prairies.
In its seasonal outlook, Environment Canada forecasts cooler-than-average temperatures across parts of Yukon, the Northwest Territories and northern Prairie regions, including northeastern Alberta. Warmer-than-normal conditions are more likely in southern parts of the Prairies, as well as British Columbia and parts of eastern Canada.
The agency says the outlook reflects broader winter trends, which saw colder-than-normal temperatures dominate northern regions, while southern Alberta and British Columbia experienced periods of record warmth.
Above-normal precipitation across much of Western Canada during the winter contributed to heavy snowpack, a pattern Environment Canada suggests is expected to continue influencing conditions into the early part of the spring season. However, the increased precipitation is expected to put an end to previous drought conditions in the southern prairies.
Environment Canada notes the seasonal forecast reflects probabilities rather than exact outcomes, meaning periods of warmer or colder weather can still occur regardless of the overall trend.
The outlook suggests spring in northern Alberta may be slow to arrive, with cooler conditions persisting even as daylight hours increase and seasonal transition begins.
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