Dreaming of a white Christmas? It may come down to the wire

The Weather Network's Holiday Snow Report forecasts a bitter cold Christmas for many Canadians 

OAKVILLE, ON, Dec. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - With streams of Arctic air descending straight from the North Pole, The Weather Network's Holiday Snow Report is forecasting one of the coldest Christmases in quite some time for parts of Canada.

However, as we head into the holiday season, The Weather Network's meteorologists are still tracking an active weather pattern that will determine whether millions of Canadians will wake up to snow on Christmas morning.

"It's safe to say Canadians will be tracking more than Santa's sleigh this Christmas Eve," said Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist with The Weather Network. "This active weather pattern has the potential to bring a wide range of precipitation types—snow, rain, freezing rain—so those planning to travel over the holidays should keep a close eye on the fast-changing weather."

Here's a more detailed look at the conditions expected across the country this holiday season:  

Ontario & Quebec – Unsettled weather for the region heading into the final weekend before Christmas and the potential for another system to impact southern areas during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Frigid weather arrives for the week between Christmas and New Years with meandering bands of lake effect snow squalls making for difficult to dangerous travel at times around the Great Lakes.

British Columbia – Widespread white Christmas for most of British Columbia and even the potential for some snow to linger until Christmas for parts of the Lower Mainland and along east coast of Vancouver Island.  Generally fair weather expected during the days leading up to Christmas, which is great news for travelers and for enjoying the abundance of snow in the mountains

The Prairies – Frigid weather will grab the headlines across the regions through the holidays with bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills.  Most of the region will have a white Christmas, but the snow cover will be rather thin for a few cities.

Atlantic Canada – Wet weather during the final weekend before Christmas and we are closely monitoring the potential for another system during Christmas Day.  A more wintry pattern is expected during the week between Christmas and New Years with colder temperatures and the potential for an active storm track impacting the region.

With the potential for active weather, Canadians who are travelling to see their loved ones this holiday season are urged to pay extra close attention to daily forecasts. You can prepare for changeable weather patterns by visiting www.theweathernetwork.com or by downloading The Weather Network App and creating an account for personalized and up-to-the-minute forecast information.

Which Canadian cities will see a white Christmas?

Vancouver	Slight Chance
Victoria	No Chance
Edmonton	Slight Chance
Calgary	Guaranteed
Regina	Slight Chance
Saskatoon	Guaranteed
Winnipeg	Guaranteed
Thunder Bay	Guaranteed
London	Probable
Toronto	Probable
Ottawa	Guaranteed
Montreal	Guaranteed
Quebec	Guaranteed
Saguenay	Guaranteed
Fredericton	Probable
Halifax	Slight Chance
Charlottetown	Slight Chance
St. John's	Probable
Whitehorse	Guaranteed
Yellowknife	Guaranteed
Iqaluit	Guaranteed

Interview opportunities: The Weather Network meteorologists are available for Holiday Snow Report interviews from December 20 to 22, 2017 and can provide region-specific, up-to-the-minute forecasts.  

About Pelmorex Weather Networks
Pelmorex Weather Networks, a division of Pelmorex Corp., is a leading international provider of weather-related information services.  It operates in North America, Europe, Latin America, India and Australia under the brands The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Eltiempo.es and Clima. The Weather Network and its French counterpart MétéoMédia are Canada's most popular weather and information services on TV, web and mobile apps.  Eltiempo is Spain's leading multi-platform weather information provider. Pelmorex also operates Canada's National Alerting Aggregation and Dissemination System (Alert Ready) which aggregates and distributes emergency alerts issued by authorized government agencies. 

SOURCE The Weather Network

For further information: To arrange an interview with a meteorologist, please contact: Emily Ngai, High Road, 416-645-8179, [email protected]