Winter is coming: Expect a milder winter in Hamilton

Hamilton will see a fairly normal winter this year when it comes to temperature and snow, but it’ll be a dream compared to the last one.

Environment Canada released its full winter forecast Monday. It shows a “yo-yo” type of winter, with snow storms mixed with days when you can see the grass in your yard, said senior climatologist Dave Phillips.

It’s not nearly the kind of winter we saw in 2013.- Climatologist Dave Phillips

On balance, it will likely be a little snowier than normal with swings in temperature, he said. But that’s “good news compared to the horror story last year was.”

“We’ll have an up and down, yo-yo kind of weather, but overall we’ll say things are fairly close to normal,” he said. “It’s not nearly the kind of winter we saw in 2013.”

Last year, a polar vortex of cold air dipped down to Hamilton, causing frigid temperatures and freezing rain. That culminated in a fierce late December ice storm that left many without power for days. Some areas of Flamborough and Ancaster spent Christmas in the dark.

The city is unlikely to experience that this year, Phillips said. There will be some polar vortex weather, but it won’t be as punishing. Hamilton is experiencing El Nino, which is a warm band of water that starts near the equator.

“It’s not going to be like last year where the heating bill was through the roof, wind chills were almost inhumane, and it went on forever,” he said.

The three-month forecast is about 65 per cent accurate, Phillips said. But it’s slightly higher this year because of El Nino.

The Weather Network, in its seasonal forecast released last week, also predicts a yo-yo winter with periods of blustery cold, and days of milder weather. It predicts that temperatures will be about 2 C below average.

The Farmer’s Almanac also predicts temperatures of 2 C below average in December and January. It predicts a lot of snow in December, followed by flurries and snow showers interspersed with milder weather in January.