When will spring bloom? The Weather Network delivers its Spring Forecast

Sluggish start to spring across the eastern half will transition to above normal temperatures for most of Canada

OAKVILLE, ON, March 1, 2016 /CNW/ - Many Canadians are wondering if a relatively mild winter translates to an early start to spring. The Weather Network's meteorologists have the answers with the release of their Spring Forecast for the months of March, April and May. Overall, Canadians in Central and Eastern Canada will see a slower start to spring but will then quickly catch up, while Western Canada will experience spring-like conditions early on.

"This winter has been milder than the last couple for most Canadians, but there is still great anticipation for that first stretch of consistently warm spring weather. Central and Eastern Canada will have to endure a few parting shots of winter over the coming weeks before warmer temperatures burst onto the scene in April," said Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist at The Weather Network. "We'll see Western Canada's mild weather trend continue through March, which will set the stage for a warmer than normal spring.  Despite the mild forecast, spring snow storms are not out of the question especially in the higher elevations of Alberta and B.C."

While El Niño is weakening after one of the strongest events in 60 years, it will continue to have an influence on the spring weather pattern across Canada. Through the first half of the season, the main storm track heading up along the East Coast and into Atlantic Canada will result in above normal precipitation from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland.  During April, the pattern will change and the second half of spring will leave much of Ontario, southwestern Quebec and parts of the Prairies with below normal precipitation. Meanwhile, despite the above normal temperatures expected for Western Canada, spring skiing conditions will be optimal in the Rockies and coastal areas of B.C. due to a deep snowpack.

The Weather Network's Spring 2016 Forecast
Region	Temperature Outlook	Precipitation Outlook
British Columbia	Above normal	Most of region near normal except above normal for central and northern coastal sections
Alberta	Above normal	Below normal
Saskatchewan	Above normal	Near normal except below normal in southwestern sections
Manitoba	Above normal	Near normal
Ontario	Above normal	Below normal
Québec	Above normal for southern regions, near normal elsewhere	Southern section near to below normal and near normal elsewhere
The Maritimes and Newfoundland	Above normal for the Maritimes, near normal for Newfoundland and Labrador	Above normal for all regions except near normal for New Brunswick
Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut	Above normal for the Yukon and Northwest Territories, near normal for Nunavut	Near normal for all regions except above normal for southern Yukon

Complete Spring Forecast details, including regional breakdowns, maps and charts are available at www.theweathernetwork/spring. Canadians can be prepared for changeable weather patterns by visiting www.theweathernetwork.com or by downloading The Weather Network App.

Interview opportunities: The Weather Network meteorologists are available for interviews from March 1 to 3, 2016 to provide regional forecasts and additional information about this year's Spring Forecast.

About Pelmorex Media Inc.
Celebrating 26 years, Pelmorex Media Inc. is the parent company of The Weather Network, MétéoMédia, Eltiempo.es and Wetterplus.de. Pelmorex operates in Canada, the U.S., Spain, the U.K. and Germany. The Weather Network and its French counterpart MétéoMédia are Canada's most popular weather and information services on TV, web and smartphone 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 Pelmorex Media Inc.

To arrange an interview with a meteorologist, please contact: Sara Stratton, High Road, 416-644-2258, [email protected]