We might be in the midst of winter, but it鈥檚 not looking like it in many parts of Canada.
Temperatures are expected to reach record-breaking highs in several regions on Wednesday, including Toronto where Environment Canada predicts temperature will hit 17 C. The normal seasonal temperature for the city is -2C.
The federal weather agency says the above-seasonal temperatures across Canada are due to a shift in slow patterns in the atmosphere, which is bringing up warm air from the American southwest and deep South.
Winnipeg鈥檚 recent bout of unseasonably warm weather and drizzle wreaked havoc on winter activities over the recent long weekend. Much of Atlantic Canada also experienced milder winter weather, with Halifax鈥檚 Stanfield International Airport reporting its third warmest January since 1961.
Annual temperatures averaged across the nation have warmed by approximately 1.6 C over the past 68 years.
David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment Canada, calls the unusual temperatures a 鈥渇alse spring,鈥� and said he鈥檚 been surprised a number of times this past winter.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing records clobbered and smashed,鈥� he said in an interview with CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Wednesday. 鈥淭emperatures that have gone up to 18 degrees, the previous record was 11 鈥� it鈥檚 a different world.鈥�
The duration of the warmth is also surprising. 鈥淵ou often see in February one- or two-day wonders,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淚t warms up and then it鈥檚 a surprise, and then all of a sudden, winter comes back.鈥�
But with a record-breaking 10 days of warmth behind us, 鈥渨e鈥檙e seeing one of the longest February heatwaves that I鈥檝e ever seen.
鈥淭hese are temperatures that would be typical in early May, not mid-February. And we thought this winter was going to be a little cooler than normal.鈥�
But not all of Canada is experiencing a heatwave, Phillips pointed out. It has been one of the longest and snowiest winters residents of British Columbia have seen in a long time.
鈥淲e saw cold air coming down over Victoria and Vancouver,鈥� he said.
Worrisome pattern?
While Canadians ditch the parkas and bask in the sunshine, Phillips warned that 鈥渢he weather you鈥檙e blessing may be the weather you鈥檙e cursing.
鈥淲e just don鈥檛 know what the implications of this until we come to the summer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t could be that we鈥檙e seeing more bugs. More insects because they鈥檙e surviving.鈥�
He also noted that such unusual weather could lead to flooding due to rapid melting of snow and slush from earlier in the season.
鈥淭his is the mark of the kind of weather that we鈥檝e seen across the country and across the world, is that it鈥檚 almost going from one extreme to the other,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淚鈥檝e talked to farmers who have said to me, 鈥業 could have bought flood insurance and drought insurance in the same growing season.鈥�
And it could be a glimpse into the future.
鈥淭his may be the dress rehearsal, or the preview of what winter would look like maybe in 30, 40, 50 years, where you end up with more rain than snow.鈥�
But don鈥檛 put away the shovel just yet. Numbers indicate March may see regular colder temperatures more akin to a classic Canadian winter.
鈥淒on鈥檛 write the obituary on winter quite yet,鈥� Phillips advised.
