Most parts of Canada probably won't have a white Christmas this year, says Environment and Climate Change Canada's chief climatologist
Published yesterday at 10:56 p.m.
Bob Weber The Canadian Press
“If you don’t have snow now, you won’t have snow,” David Phillips said. He said there will be no snow in many areas that traditionally celebrate a white Christmas.
The technical definition of a “white Christmas” is two inches of snow that sticks, Phillips said.
“That’s the Canadian standard. Millions of Canadians will not have one. »
In Montreal, the sliding slopes at the foot of Mount Royal and the ice skating rinks are closed due to heavy rain and mild temperatures.
Calgary's few patches of snow await their fate as forecasts call for temperatures well above freezing and warm Chinook-type winds. In Ottawa, where heavy snowfalls are common, the lawns are covered in icy powder that doesn't allow for sledding or snowballing, but at least shines nicely in the sun.
PHOTO JEFF MCINTOSH, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Golfers in Calgary were still practicing their sport on December 5th.
After two consecutive white Christmases, Vancouver will almost certainly end its streak this year.
The Cypress Mountain ski resort north of Vancouver said on a social media platform that sunny weather was expected throughout the weekend before a return to rain on Christmas Day.
It's the same everywhere.
From Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to Cornerbrook, Newfoundland and Labrador, and from Inuvik in the Northwest Territories to Iqaluit, Nuavut, late November snowfall accumulations were between 10 and 15 centimeters below average. Some places, such as southeastern British Columbia, are 50 centimeters lower than average.
This means that there is almost no snow cover to speak of in southern Canada.
Environment Canada's snow map uses brown dots to indicate snow-free ski areas and is brown from coast to coast. Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax – all brown dots.
Skiers keep their skis in the closet
Online ski information shows that 41 ski resorts across the country have an average of only a third of their slopes open.
If you want snow, you have three options: the Newfoundland coast along St. John's, the Saguenay region of Quebec, and a small part of the Rocky Mountains in southwestern Alberta. All of them are 6 to 8 inches taller than average – not epic, but enough to roll a snowman or roll down a hill.
“The snow didn’t have a chance to accumulate,” Phillips said.
“It’s just too hot and too dry. We set all sorts of records for warm temperatures, and that was the case throughout the summer and certainly into October and November. »
Mr Phillips is already concerned about the impact of the dry weather on next year's crops and forests.
“Moisture is a big problem on the prairies,” he said.
“Last year’s wildfires started due to winter conditions. This doesn't look good at a time when we should be replenishing soil moisture. »
Almost all of the country is considered “unusually dry,” according to Environment Canada’s Drought Monitoring Tool. Some places in southern Alberta are already at the “exceptional” level, which is the top of the classification system.
Parts of British Columbia continue to experience extreme drought conditions, with the Peace River and Fort Nelson areas classified as Level 5, depending on the province – the highest level of drought activity with “almost certain negative impacts.”
El Niño – a periodic weather system that brings warm weather to much of North America – is partly responsible for this unusual weather. This year, the system started early and strong, Phillips said. In addition, the Arctic air descending toward southern latitudes was not as cold as usual.
All of this is happening in a changing climate that has made 2023 the hottest summer in the planet's history.
“El Niño is different now,” Phillips said. This is happening against the backdrop of a warming world. »
With information from Chuck Chiang