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I dream of a white Christmas
Just like the ones that I used to know.
Where the tree tops sparkle
And children listen
To hear the sleigh bells in snow.
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Irving Berlin, music composer
Quinte could get the best Christmas gift this weekend: a white Christmas.
The first major snowfall was recorded in the region on Saturday, with more expected this week. It is possible that scenic postcard-like snows will remain in place until Christmas.
Environment Canada has released a new forecast showing that Quinte is located on the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario. This area experienced a white Christmas every year for 50-60% of the time.
Environment Canada looked at 65 years worth of weather records to create its white Christmas forecast for 2021. This included Toronto’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which Environment Canada said has more than 50 percent chance of snow this weekend.
The data is based the amount snow-on the-ground recorded on Christmas Day between 1955 and 2019. This allows you to calculate a statistical probability of having a white Christmas for this year.
Environment Canada stated that a perfect Christmas means snow falling on Christmas Day and snow on the ground of at least 2 cm.
Last weekend snow fell amid a major storm warning issued by Environment Canada. It advised Belleville, QuinteWest and Northumberland residents that they could expect snow accumulations of up to 14 cm.
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The region was covered in a thick layer of snow, keeping Belleville and QuinteWest municipal workers busy sanding, salting, and clearing streets, roadways, and sidewalks overnight Saturday and Sunday to keep pedestrians and motorists safe.
Environment Canada forecasts that more snow will arrive in the next week.
On Wednesday, cloudy conditions will prevail with a daytime high temperature of 0C and a evening low temperature of -12C.
Temperatures will fall to -4C on Thursday in cloudy conditions. There is a 60% chance that there will be flurries. The overnight low will be -6C.
Friday will have a 70% chance of snow flurries, and temperatures around -3C.
Environment Canada stated that there is a 70% chance of snow flurries Saturday Christmas Day. The temperature will reach 0C during the day and -7C at night.
