A slow meltdown might finally begin to speed up this week. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Finally Warming Up?

Relief from lousy March weather on horizon

Mar 31, 2023 | 5:00 PM

March hasn’t brought the warmer weather it usually promises, and for those residents fed up with winter, it’s been a disappointing month. Good news may be just around the corner, however.

After weeks of below-average temperatures and a delayed meltdown, warmer weather may finally be ready for a breakthrough. The weekend won’t bring much in the way of relief, but next week appears to promise some.

“I’ve been paying attention to it for a very long time, waiting for some kind of indication that the pattern is finally going to break down,” said Terri Lang, regional meteorologist with Environment Canada. “We’re finally starting to see that maybe late next week. We might finally see some milder air starting to move in.”

According to Lang, the jet stream is well to the south of us in the United States where it’s “giving California headaches” and keeping the warm air we’re used to seeing this time of year bottled up.

“That’s where all the energy and the warmth is,” said Lang. “Because it’s so far south, we’re stuck in this colder-than-average pattern.”

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In order to move the jet stream northward and bring the warm air with it, a large ridge of high pressure is needed. Often, the system in question needs to come in from off the coast after building up in Asia, thus the delayed start to spring.

“Average highs for this time of year are around +5 C and overnight lows are around -7 C,” Lang said. “Of course, we know that can vary greatly, but it’s going to be kind of sneaking above the freezing mark a little bit. We’ll see a little bit of a cooldown Sunday into Monday.”

Don’t expect April to be all sunshine and warmth, however. Much like March, it’s tracking to cooler than normal.

“April is forecast to be below average, temperature wise, keeping with that cool pattern for the entire month,” said Lang. “There’s no pattern for precipitation indicating other than a dry patch in the southwest. But we know we can get some of our heavier snows through April, so we’ll be keeping an eye on that.”

Lang added the cooler temperatures may be a blessing in disguise, as it slows down the melting process and makes it easier for water to seep into the ground over time rather than evaporating.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP