If you’re looking forward to warm, spring weather in Toronto, you may have to wait a little while longer with a cooler-than-usual May expected to continue throughout the region, experts say.
Colette Kennedy, meteorologist for CBC Toronto, said this spring has been wetter and colder overall than normal.
Usually, Toronto’s last frost warning typically happens around April 27, Kennedy said. But this year, we’re still seeing them a week into May.
“We’ve had stretches of time where the daytime highs have been 5 degrees or more below normal,” she said.
The average high for a Toronto day in May is just over 19 degrees, according to Monica Vaswani, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada. So far this year, only one day has exceeded that temperature, she said.
“It definitely has been a cool start,” she told CBC Toronto.
The cooler-than-usual temperatures are forecasted to stick around for a few more weeks, and Kennedy said temperatures could start to turn around mid-May.
When the cold does let up, Vaswani said it’ll likely warm up gradually.
“We might have to wait until the last week of May, as we’re proceeding into June, to start to get some consistent warmth,” she said.
More wet weather to be expected, says meteorologist
In addition to lower-than-normal temperatures this spring, it’s also been unusually rainy. Toronto got nearly three times as much precipitation in March than it does most years and over 40 mm more rain than usual in April, Kennedy said.
“Combined, it’s been over 210 mm of rain in two months. That’s double the normal amount,” said Kennedy.
And more rain will likely come in May, Vaswani said. About a week in, Toronto has only received about 8 per cent of the average amount of precipitation for the month, she said.
She said we’re also approaching the time of year when thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain and even tornados typically happen in Ontario.
So, perhaps keep that umbrella handy and wait a few more weeks to pack away your parka, but with any luck summer is just around the corner.