Warmer than usual spring, summer possible for Windsor-Essex after colder than normal winter
Windsor has had 22 days at below -10 C this winter compared to a year ago
If you thought this winter has been colder than normal in the Windsor-Essex region — you're spot on, according to Environment Canada.
Senior climatologist Dave Phillips says data shows the region was slightly cooler than seasonal averages the past few months despite a rather mild December.
"If we stuck a thermometer in winter in Windsor, we would find this December, January, February … turned out to be about half a degree cooler than normal," he said.
"Both January and February were not record cold, but they were certainly, you know, 1.5 C to 2 C cooler than normal."
The cold winter shouldn't come as much of a surprise to many as many forecasts predicted our area would be impacted by La Niña — cool air from sea-surface temperatures across the Pacific.
Phillips says the number of winter days in Windsor-Essex that saw below -10 C was 22 — compared to eight during the same period last season.
But the same can't be said for snow or rain accumulation.
"It really hasn't been snowy though. It's been kind of almost an Arctic cold where you don't get a lot of precipitation," he said. "Snowfall totals have been maybe half of what they normally would."
Phillips calls this winter "old fashioned" for much of southwestern Ontario.
"It turned out to be more cold days than mild days. But really … it won't be memorable, because it wasn't record-breaking."
Spring and summer?
Groundhogs have predicted an early spring, so is this punishingly cold winter in the rearview mirror?
Well, we've made it to March — and although not officially spring, there are spring-like double digit temperatures on the way for Windsor-Essex.
"The days are getting longer … almost three minutes a day," Phillips said. "You're seeing that more daylight and the sun is higher in the sky. You can feel that heat on your skin when the sun is out."
But that mild weather doesn't mean our region is fully away from snowfall and the cold.
Phillips says over the last 30 years, Windsor historically still sees 20 per cent — about 27 centimetres — of its annual snowfall after March 1.
"My sense is that the white stuff that flies, it still could be snow through March and April, the cruel month, as they say, but things are looking warmer than normal."
He says when you look at the long term picture of the spring and summer they show warmer than normal predictions — just not every day.
"If I had some hope …. maybe we need some spring rain, some April showers because for farmers … they're a little bit behind. Not a crisis situation, but I think it would be good to add some moisture into the moisture bank for farmers."
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With files from Windsor Morning