It is said that March will come in looking like a lion and go out looking like a lamb. But what happens if March 1 is neither lion-like nor lamb-like?
For example, what happens if the morning of March 1 is sunny and calm, but still -23 degrees Celsius?
David Phillips, Senior Climateologist at Environment Canada, jokes that “I would describe today like more of frozen mutton type of day.”
Phillips claims that the old saying “The only way to get rich is by getting rich” is not always true.
“I’ve heard March roar in and out. He says he has seen March roar in and out. “So I don’t think that little weather ditty is of any merit.”
Phillips released Tuesday’s spring weather outlook for southern Manitoba. Phillips warns Manitobans against putting away their winter parkas. Phillips calls for March to be cooler than normal in this part of Manitoba. Phillips says there’s good reason.
Phillips explained that temperatures will take longer to rise because of all the white snow still on ground. The normal temperature for this time is -4. Environment Canada says that we could reach that temperature next Saturday.
Phillips claims that because of the white snow, the sun’s radiation reflects off the snow and then goes back into space. He points out that once the snow melts and we see some darker soil, the ground can absorb the radiation.
Phillips is calling to have March colder than usual. However, he reminds that March is on average seven to eight degrees warmer than February. So even if March ends up being a little colder than usual, it could still be much warmer than last month.
He also stated that we already see an additional three minutes of daylight each day. It’s also very noticeable due to the sun being higher up in the sky.
“When you are walking down the streets, I mean that you can feel that heat under your skin in March, which you couldn’t in February or January,” he says.
Phillips points out that just because March is expectedly colder than usual, it does not necessarily mean that spring will be colder. Phillips notes that April and May should be the exact opposite. The end result should be a normal spring in terms of temperatures south Manitoba.
Phillips believes that we will see more snow than usual in the coming days. He points out that snow is forecast for a few days this week. Phillips says that southern Manitoba typically gets about one-quarter its snow after March 1. Phillips claims that at this time of year, you will get more Colorado Lows with higher water content.
Phillips believes that the winter turned out exactly as they predicted. Phillips claims that January and February both had 11 days when the temperature fell below -30, despite winter being absent from action until December. February was seven degrees colder than usual, making it the coldest February for 43 years. All of the Alberta Clippers contributed to making this one of the snowiest winters in history since 1963.
