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Milder winter predicted for northeastern Ontario

CBC News | Posted: December 3, 2015 4:41 PM | Last Updated: December 3, 2015

7 C expected for Sudbury on Saturday — last year on the same day, the high was -2 C

Image | CALGARY WARM WEATHER 20150212 TOPIX

Caption: Although they can't tell us how much snow we can expect, Environment Canada is predicting a warmer-than-normal winter in northeastern Ontario as the effects of an El Nino weather system take shape. (Larry MacDougal/Canadian Press)

After two long, cold winters in northeastern Ontario, Environment Canada is predicting a fairly mild winter this year thanks to the effects of El Nino.
In fact, this El Nino weather pattern is widely expected by climate experts to be one of the strongest ever recorded.
Dave Phillips, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said at this point, he expects the already above-average temperatures to continue in the northeast.
"November, my gosh, was almost 3 degrees warmer than normal! I mean, you had some snow — I think 20 centimetres of snow in Sudbury," he said. "Last year you had 60 centimetres in November."

Image | Typical El Nino Effects

Caption: A developing El Nino — which could be the strongest since at least the 1950s — continues to warm the waters of the equatorial Pacific. The system is likely to warm temperatures across most of Canada this winter, as mild ocean air flows from west to east across the country. (Johanna Wagstaffe/CBC)

"There's no mystery here. When you get an El Nino this strong — the last one we had was '97, '98 — it generally keeps that polar vortex away and gives us those mild days."
Listen to the complete interview with Dave Phillips here.

Media Audio | Morning North : Weather guru David Phillips says winter should be milder this year

Caption: It's December and though we've had a taste of winter here and there, it really doesn't feel like old man winter has truly exercised his squatting rights in the northeast yet. We spoke about winter 2015/16 with David Phillips of Environment Canada.

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