Several Canadian cities have broken record temperatures during one of the mildest winters in history.
Edmonton had the warmest winter on record, Vancouver had the warmest December on record, and Montreal had the second warmest winter on record, according to Environment Canada.
Toronto had the warmest Mar 4 in 50 years, reaching a high of 13 C at the end of one of the city’s mildest winters.
The reasoning for higher temperatures and more rainfall than snow for the past few months could be due to El Niño, according to The Weather Network’s senior meteorologist Doug Gillham.
El Niño and La Niña are patterns of warmer and cooler than normal sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean near South America that affect temperatures all over the world.
This winter has been characterized by double digit temperatures and more rainfall than snowfall.
Even High Park’s beloved cherry blossoms are blooming earlier than expected because the warm weather has increased the speed of their development.
However, just because the city’s already short winter may be coming to an early end doesn’t mean the spring will follow the same warming trend.
“A warm spring does not eliminate the risk of late-season shots of cold weather. Therefore, we still have a risk of a late-season frost or freeze after the start of the growing season,” Gillham said.
Changes are happening as the warm surface of the ocean is replaced with cooler temperatures.
@erhunabbasli A hot winter day in Toronto ☀️🇨🇦 #toronto #torontolife #sunnyday #canada ♬ original sound – Brandon Angliss
Does this mean Toronto’s brutal winters will eventually take place in the summer?
As spring arrives, El Niño will begin to shift to La Niña, leaving Torontonians to experience a tumultuous summer with both chilly and warm days, according to Gillham.
Commuters and those who work in person are especially considerate of how unstable weather conditions affect them.
Toronto based music artist AVRNS enjoys the weather’s unpredictability, despite living in Mississauga and frequently commuting downtown for gigs or studio sessions.
“It’s a good practice to test or play with your internal compass,” AVRNS said.
Others are indifferent to whether the sun is shining or it’s raining outside.
“Regardless of the weather, I have to commute,” commuter Amber Sandhu said. “It’s only a bother when it comes to delays of transit, but other than that the weather is out of my control.”
And some just want to make the most of what’s happening.
“Petition for everyone in Toronto to get a day off because this nice weather just can’t go to waste,” an X user posted.
Although it’s too early to tell if unstable weather conditions will be the new normal, the earth’s climate is naturally variable, but average temperatures rely on energy balance, according to Environment Canada.
“Any factor that causes a sustained change to the amount of incoming energy or the amount of outgoing energy can lead to climate change,” the Environment Canada website states.
