#StarWeather

It's that crisp time of year again when cable knit sweaters become a staple in your wardrobe and baristas insist on up-selling you new, limited-time lattes that taste like melted Halloween candy.

While mornings are slightly chilly, Torontonians should relish this fresh fall weather before winter sets in. Expect snowfall in November, though snow already arrived for some Ontarians halfway through October. El Nino could increase the risk of ice-storms in eastern Ontario and Quebec. The bright side? Accuweather says Toronto can expect milder temperatures this winter.

In the meantime, enjoy the onslaught of fall-friendly Instagram photos and tweets to come. Are you drinking a pumpkin spice latte? Did you just have an autumn leaf war with your friends? Snap a pic and tweet/Instagram it to us using the hashtag #StarWeather. We'll share them here! 

We’re only halfway through October but some places in Ontario are already seeing the white stuff.

And looks like there’s more on the way – Environment Canada has  issued a handful of snow squall warnings and frost advisories for portions of southern Ontario. Toronto has a 30 per cent chance of seeing rain or flurries Saturday evening, so the city may be seeing snowflakes way sooner than anyone wanted to. 

Due to cold temperatures, the roof at the Rogers Centre will be closed for Game 5 of the American League Division Series Wednesday, according to Stephen R. Brooks, Sr. Vice President of the Blue Jays.

“It’s about roof mechanics not fans toughening out the cold weather”, Brooks tweeted Tuesday. “It risks shutting down and never working again.”

HALIFAX — The Canadian Hurricane Centre says it is monitoring hurricane Joaquin, which may move into Canadian waters early next week.

The storm is battering the central Bahamas with torrential rains that flooded homes and forecasters warned that the “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm could grow even stronger as it roared along a path that could take it near the U.S. east coast.

The Halifax-based Canadian Hurricane Centre says there’s a high degree of uncertainty around the storm’s track forecast.

It says there are two particular scenarios, one that would have it moving into the Carolinas and the other showing it far offshore from Atlantic Canada.

If it felt like a warmer than usual September, it was.

Throughout last month, temperatures stayed well above the seasonal high of 21C.

Environment Canada says the influx in heat had partly to do with the “super El Niño” that is warming up the Pacific Ocean leading into the Great Lakes causing a warming affect on the rest of the city.

Temperatures in October will drop back slightly and remain closer to seasonal temperatures throughout the month seeing an average high of 14C and a low of 9C.

HALIFAX — Thousands of power customers in the Maritimes awoke to no electricity Thursday after a major rainstorm swept through the region.

Environment Canada said more than 100 millimetres of rain fell over parts of New Brunswick, including 168 millimetres reported at Kouchibouguac.

New Brunswick Power reported more than 5,000 outages Thursday morning, with most in the area around Fredericton.

The downpour and subsequent washouts forced the closure of some schools and cancelled buses. The province’s Emergency Measures Organization urged vigilance on its Twitter feed.

A “monster” El Nino weather system expected to hit Canada’s West Coast later this fall and winter could lead to higher tides, flooding and erosion in low-lying coastal areas, says a professor at the University of Victoria.

Ian Walker’s warning comes out of part of a larger study by a group of researchers from five countries bordering the Pacific who looked into El Nino and La Nina weather systems. The study was published this week in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Thirteen researchers from universities and government agencies tried to determine if patterns in coastal change, such as erosion and flooding, could be connected to major climate cycles, like El Nino and La Nina, across the Pacific.

Walker, a geography professor whose specialties include beach and dune systems, coastal erosion and climate-change impacts, said he contributed data collected from the west coast of Vancouver Island, between Tofino and Ucluelet.

Hope you like wild rides, because we're about to be thrown on one during the fall weather forecast this year.

Although temperature fluctuations are normal for the season, “this year, Canadians should expect more prolonged periods than usual in which temperatures are either above or below normal,” said Chris Scott, chief meteorologist at The Weather Network.

According to the forecast, central and eastern Canada are in for a warmer-than-normal start to the fall (officially Wednesday) with temperatures possibly even hitting mid-summer levels before suddenly plunging into a false start to winter sometime in October. Around the Great Lakes, the low temperatures will mean a, “higher than typical threat for a significant autumn snowfall” paired with “a couple rounds of early-season lake-effect snow,” the forecast says.

The west coast will be hanging on to mild temperatures for a little longer, but no need for jealousy – by late fall, temperatures are expected to drop across the country and stay below average for several weeks before returning to seasonal weather in November or early December.

Fall officially arrives next Wednesday. Fall temperatures arrive this weekend.

While we bask in this week’s heat and wring out some more patio days, the Farmer’s Almanac is providing details of what’s to come. The autumnal equinox arrives at 4:21 a.m. on Sept. 23.

The equinox marks the point at which the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator from north to south. Nighttime temperatures, which have already been lower, drop even further and the leaves change colours in profusion.

So while we have a high forecast for 28C on Friday, the Sunday high is supposed to be only 18C — with a nighttime low of 10C after a downpour through Saturday.

Grab a sweater because cool fall-like temperatures are lingering over Toronto this cloudy Sunday.

There will be some sunny breaks this afternoon at 17 C, with humidity up to 77 per cent. Temperature will be falling to 15 C in the evening and 13 C overnight.

However, this won’t last too long. The rest of the week will be bright and sunny as temperatures will be rising to an average of 25 C during the day.

You may want to keep a sweater nearby for the evening, however, because the average overnight low for the rest of the week is 17 C.

Fall is in the air this weekend in Toronto — but it’ll only be a taster.

The thermometer isn’t expected to rise above 24 C Friday, with almost no humidity. There’s a 30 per cent change of overcast skies and occasional showers this afternoon, increasing to 60 per cent later this evening.

If you’re heading to TIFF this weekend, think of bringing along an umbrella and a sweater. Saturday is expected to be gloomy and grey, with a 60 per cent change of showers, a daytime high of 18 C and an overnight low of just 11 C. Sunday’s forecast is looking similarly dreary: a high of 17 C and a low of 11 C with a 40 per cent chance of showers.

Thankfully, the weekend’s cool spell isn’t going to last. Expect to see daytime highs of 26 C and mostly sunny skies for Monday through to the weekend. While it won’t feel like 40 C, the humidex is also expected to creep up on Tuesday, making it feel closer to 29 C.

Although the end of summer is finally here for children and teens, it sure doesn’t feel like it just yet in Toronto. Labour Day’s hot, muggy weather is sticking around for a couple of days at least with an extreme heat alert in effect Tuesday as the kids head back to school.

The high for Tuesday is a sizzling 30 C — 37 C with the humidex — with a chance of thundershowers extending all day and into the early evening. Rain is also in the forecast for most of the day and into tomorrow morning. Wednesday’s expected high is 27 C.

The City issues an extreme heat alert when 31 C weather lasts three days or more, which activates the opening of seven cooling stations across Toronto. Open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, the stations provide water and light snacks to residents looking for some relief.

Officials recommend that everyone drink plenty of water, wear comfortable clothing and keep cool throughout the day.

Don’t work too hard out there on Labour Day; it’s going to be a scorcher.

Sunny skies and a high of 33 C will mark the unofficial end of summer in The Six.

Environment Canada’s heat warning remains in effect after a sizzling weekend.

Be sure to stay hydrated and take breaks from the heat by spending time in air-conditioned spaces or in the shade.

This Labour Day long weekend, don’t expect The Six to be anything less than scorching.

Toronto's Medical Officer of Health issued a heat alert on Saturday. This comes on the heels of Environment Canada’s heat warning of several days of 30 C temperatures for the city, issued Friday.

For the city, heat-related alert triggers include temperatures greater or equal to 31 C, lows less than or equal to 20 C, and a humidex greater than or equal to 40 C. If this is sustained for two days, the city issues a heat alert. If the hot weather lasts three days, the medical officer of health will issue an extreme heat alert, which activates the opening of seven cooling centres.

You can learn more about the Harmonized Heat Alert and Response System (HARS) here.

Leading into the final long weekend of summer, Toronto has been issued a heat warning by Environment Canada.

The warning was issued at 2:16 p.m. with temperatures climbing to 27 C, or 31 C with humidity.

According to Environment Canada, Toronto should expect several days of maximum temperatures reaching 30 C starting Saturday which will continue through to Labour Day. Temperatures overnight are not expected to drop below 20 C.

As always, be sure to drink plenty of water – even before you feel thirsty.

After an unusually warm week, we can expect more heat as we head into the last long weekend of the summer.

Environment Canada predicts sunny skies with a high of 28 C on Friday .

Saturday looks to be sunny in the morning and early afternoon, with a 40 per cent chance of showers late in the afternoon, and a risk of thunderstorms with a high of 30 C.

Sunday and Monday will bring dryer conditions, with a high of 32 and 30 C respectively.

Looks like the Toronto Blue Jays aren’t the only thing burning up Toronto this week.

Temperatures rocketed to a 2015 record high of 33.3 C at Pearson International Airport Wednesday. Around 5 p.m. the humidex topped out at a “feels like” temperature of 40 C – making sure that your commute home was nice and sticky.

While last month may have felt warm – and it was – the mercury never reached above 32.6 C. Toronto’s all-time record temperature for Sept. 2 was set in 1953 at 36.7 C, according to Environment Canada.

But Wednesday is hump day and that means looking ahead to the long weekend. Thursday and Friday are expected to hover around highs of 26 to 27 C to get you through the rest of your work week, with a brief fog patch dissipating on Thursday morning to accompany how you really feel.

For planet Earth, no other month was likely as hot as this past July in records that date back to the late 1800s. And the globe is well on its way to having its hottest year on record.

Both NASA and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) have published data that show it was the hottest July on record. Since July is on average the planet’s warmest time of year, it’s fair to say temperatures this past month were at or very close to their highest point in the history of instrumental records.

NASA’s map of July temperatures shows large areas of much warmer than normal temperaturesEND in the Pacific Northwest, Western Europe, central Asia and Africa. It also reveals the telltale signature of the powerful El Niño event, portrayed by the much warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central tropical Pacific.

The heat from El Niño not only manifested itself over the tropical Pacific, but also likely boosted temperatures in other areas due to its ripple effects on global weather patterns. In sum, NASA data reveal July 2015’s average temperature edged July 2011 as the warmest on record (by 0.02 degrees), making back-to-back months of record-setting temperatures after a toasty June. Every month this year has ranked among the top four warmest in NASA’s analysis.

Ah, the humidex. The thing that can make a summer day in Toronto go from a hot 31C to feeling like a stifling 39C. The city, and most of Ontario, has been hit with heat warning after heat warning this summer, in part thanks to a value that can make what could be a pleasantly warm day feel like the Sahara instead.

But what exactly is the humidex, anyway?

A Canadian creation

The humidex is a Canadian creation first used in 1965, according to Environment Canada’s website. It combines the temperature and humidity levels into one value that shows the perceived temperature, or how the heat and humidity feels “to the average person.”

It’s been another blisteringly hot day in Toronto, with a heat warning issued for the second consecutive day, and temperatures in the low 30s (37-40C with humidex).

It was so hot Sunday that Andy Wood, a Toronto YouTuber, decided to fry an egg on a driveway.

A video posted to YouTube shows Wood crack the egg, leaving it for around two hours. By the end, though the egg white has been absorbed into the ground, the yolk has been nicely cooked.

Be careful what you wish for.

A heat warning has been issued by Environment Canada for Toronto and all of southern Ontario.

During a soggy month where we’ve seen more rain than sun – only five days in August are on record as completely dry – many Torontonians were left asking where our summer went.

Well, we finally found it: Sunday and Monday.

It’s Toronto’s signature pastime. Not baseball. No, not enjoying a cold one on the patio either.

It’s complaining about the weather. And today, that’s warranted.

Mid-August typically brings visions of a day at the beach, but Friday evening you may not need to go swimming to get wet. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for much of Southern Ontario forecasting scattered thunderstorms and significant rainfall this afternoon.

“With a moist air mass in place over Southern Ontario, torrential downpours are a concern,” reads the statement in part. “Some of these thunderstorms may be capable of producing rainfall amounts of 30 to 40 mm. Should several thunderstorms track over the same area, rainfall amounts near 50 mm may be possible.”

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says a Delta Airlines flight that originated from Boston made an emergency landing in Denver because hail damaged the plane.

The hail damaged the nose cone and windshield of the Delta flight on Friday.

It’s the latest in a string of incidents involving hail damaging aircraft.

In late July, an American Airlines flight bound for Dallas/Fort Worth was forced to return to Beijing after a hailstorm damaged the nose of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Dallas Business Journal reported. Earlier in the month, a Delta Boeing 747 was damaged in a hailstorm over China and was forced to land in Seoul. The jet was subsequently taken out of service.

After days of the scorching sun, Environment Canada has ended the heat warning for Toronto Thursday night.

Friday will reach a high of 30C, but there’s a 40 per cent chance of showers with a risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. A low of 16C is expected.

With a chance of showers on both Saturday and Sunday, it could be a rainy weekend. Temperatures will dip down on Saturday, with a high of 25C and a 30 per cent chance of showers. Sunday will be similar with a high of 26C and a 30 per cent chance of showers.

It was so hot, Laura Grogan couldn’t breathe.

Grogan, 58, had hardly slept Tuesday night, so she knew by 8 a.m. that Wednesday was going to be a scorcher.

She spent the night and early morning hanging around Toronto East General Hospital because it had air conditioning and allowed Grogan, who is homeless, to catch up on the news.

Then, she rinsed and cooled off her feet in the lawn sprinklers that came to life nearby.

Today's weather is almost record breaking. Today's 34 C is close to the record high of 35.6 C set in 1949. To get some perspective on how today's highs compare to previous years, here are two charts based on figures from the Enviroment Canada almanac.

Environment Canada says water is the best way to hydrate yourself during a heatwave. The city's map shows the fountains that were working when it put together the guide. 

William Davis Toronto Star Source: City of Toronto

We may be entering the hottest day of 2015.

Temperatures are expected to soar as high as 34C around 4 p.m., which may feel more like 40C with the Humidex.

An Extreme Heat Alert has been issued for Toronto which means that cooling centres will open at seven places. As well, the city is extending hours at eight swimming pools so people can cool off with an evening dip.

Here are the cooling centres:

The heat is finally on in Toronto. After a cooler-than-usual start to the summer, temperatures are expected to hover around 30 C until at least Thursday, with the humidex edging towards 40 C. As the city collectively reaches for a cool glass of water, we have covered with some facts — and falsehoods — about beating the heat.

1. Heat alerts only apply to young children and the elderly.

False. Dr. Christine Navarro with Toronto Public Health says hot temperatures and humidity can affect anyone, regardless of age or health. While seniors and children are more vulnerable to heat stress, so too is anyone who works outside or has a chronic respiratory condition like asthma, she said.

2. Colder is always better.

It’s looking like a scorcher of a week in Toronto, with temperatures above and around the 30C mark for most of the week.

Today looks to be a balmy 33C, which will feel more like 38C with the humidex, and a very high UV of 8. If you want to avoid the heat, you can try making your way down to the lake, where it will feel more like 27C.

And the heat isn’t just here for today. Environment Canada predicts temperatures reaching 34 and 35C on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, dropping only a few degrees to 30C on Thursday and 29C by Friday.

The weather agency forecasts mostly clear skies this week, apart from occasional cloud cover and a 30 per cent chance of showers overnight Wednesday.

Step away from the air conditioner and put down that ice cream. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has issued a press release looking for a missing season: Summer.

But on the heels of this weekend’s “feels like 40 C” heat wave, and another week comfortably the high 20s, Toronto may be identified as a primary suspect in the case.

While Toronto's been basking in the sun, July’s temperatures reaching 31 C, Newfoundland and Labrador has not surpassed a tepid 25 C. Today, St. John’s is holding steady at 11 C and the vast majority of Newfoundland has a rainfall warning in effect.

The apparent absence of summer on the part of the east coast prompted the search for summer by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, who are “concerned for everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing within Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Too much of a good thing? Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health has extended the city’s heat alert to include Sunday.

With Sunday’s temperatures predicted to reach a high of 32 C, and humidex values settling around 40 C, the heat warning issued by Environment Canada Saturday will continue, to the benefit of ice cream stores across Toronto.

The hot and humid conditions will remain until later this evening, when a cold front passing through southern Ontario is expected to bring a stormy end to the extreme heat.

There is a 40 per cent chance of showers early this evening, with a risk of thunderstorm.

Environment Canada has issued a heat warning for this weekend in Toronto and much of the GTA, with temperatures across the region reaching the 30-32C range Saturday and Sunday.

The weather agency said that Saturday night will be particularly warm, with overnight lows around 20-23C. We can also expect humidex values near 40 during the afternoon on both days, though it may be slightly cooler near the shorelines of the Great Lakes.

Things are expected to cool off on Monday, with highs in the upper 20s.

Extreme heat can put anyone at risk of heat illness, but Environment Canada warns risks are greatest for older adults, infants and young children, and people with breathing difficulties or heart conditions, or psychiatric illnesses.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA—Kangaroos are a common sight for Australian vineyard owner Bill Shrapnel. But a winter storm this week was the first time he’d seen a ’roo in the snow.

Shrapnel guesses about 30 of the “timid” and “watchful” creatures live on his 77-acre Colmar Estate vineyard in Orange, New South Wales.

But before he peeked out his back window Thursday, he had never seen one of the kangaroos in the snow.

“They just turned up and started to feed. The younger ones boxed with one another as if it was just another day.”

Every silver lining has a cloud.

Higher-than-normal levels of air pollution are expected in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Monday following a weekend of sunshine that welcomed the Pan Am Games to the city.

The combination of hot and sunny weather with light southerly winds is predicted to bring more pollutants closer to ground level.

Environment Canada say short-term high risk and moderate risk Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) values are expected throughout the afternoon and evening.

You can put your umbrellas away (for now): Environment Canada has ended it special weather advisory in Toronto for heavy rain thunderstorms for Tuesday.

Bringing this past weekend’s sunny weather to an abrupt halt, a cold front moving through Southern Ontario was expected to bring 30 to 40 mm of rain to the city by this evening. In certain localized areas the rainfall was expected to exceed 50 mm.

Environment Canada ended the advisory around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, but some showers are still expected throughout the evening and into the night.

Some flights to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport Tuesday evening may be delayed due to the weather, the airport tweeted late Tuesday afternoon. You can check the status of your flight here.

Welcome to your typical July.

This week’s temperatures should be right about average for this time of year, which means it will be muggy and warm.

Tuesday will bring a high of 27 C, tempered by showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will drop to a chilly 12 C overnight. It’ll cool down Wed and Thursday to about 22 C, but climb back up to 27 C for Friday.

The average high in July is 27 C, with lows of 18 C, according to Environment Canada. July is also one of the driest months of the year, with about 69 millimetres of precipitation. Tomorrow’s rain should help get things started this month, which has barely seen a drop.

If you’re hitting up some of the Pride Toronto events this weekend, you might want to bring a rain poncho and sweater — Environment Canada is predicting a rather dreary Saturday and Sunday for the city with some water falling from the sky all day, both days.

The agency, which is warning of “very un-summerlike” weather, is predicting rain and possibly an isolated thunderstorm all across southern Ontario starting Saturday morning as a low pressure system arrives from the American Midwest. The rain’s expected to continue through to Sunday afternoon and “may be heavy at times,” which could mean a very wet Pride parade.

Regions from Windsor to the Golden Horseshoe may get “copious amounts of rain,” Environment Canada said — anywhere from a total of 30 to 60 mm, which may be enough for rainfall warnings to be issued (although Weather Network predictions have more of the wet stuff coming down on Saturday). Central and eastern Ontario will likely be getting a little less, in the 20 to 40 mm range.

To top it off, strong northeasterly winds are expected to develop Saturday with gusts from 50 to 70 km/h. The winds, which will also accompany us all weekend, will be strongest by the lower Great Lakes.

Outdoor plans will have to be put on hold the next few days: It’s going to be a very soggy weekend in the Greater Toronto Area.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for significant rainfall over the next few days.

The agency says a low pressure system will arrive on Saturday, and Southern Ontario will experience rain throughout the day.

The downpour is expected to continue into Sunday afternoon in many areas and may be heavy.

Our thunderstorm warnings may have ended, but exercise caution in your early morning commute with the leftovers of Monday night’s torrential rain pooling along roads.

Toronto was treated to a spectacular light and sound show on Monday night through to early Tuesday morning with Environment Canada alternating between severe thunderstorm watches and warnings in effect.

Luckily, this morning we’re looking a lot drier (and quieter). All thunderstorm warnings for the province have been lifted. Tornado warnings issued for parts of southern Ontario overnight have also ended.

Excess water has been so bad in some parts of the GTA this morning that early morning GO Trains from Richmond Hill to Union Station were cancelled due to flooding on the tracks.

A large swath of southern Ontario is at risk of experiencing severe weather Monday night into early Tuesday.

As of midnight, Toronto and the GTA were under severe thunderstorm warnings. Twenty regions were under a tornado watch or warning, a severe thunderstorm watch or warning or both.

Environment Canada said it had possible visual confirmation that a tornado touched down south of Goderich, Ont., earlier Monday night but that the reports had not been verified. There have been no reports of damage.

Most severe weather should clear before the morning commute Tuesday.

If you pay very close attention to squirrels gathering their nuts, you just might learn something.

That was the key message delivered by Tim Clark as part of his oral history of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, presented during the Ideacity conference on Thursday.

“Pay attention, that is the wisdom in the Old Farmer’s Almanac,” Clark said. “We’ve lost track of that in modern times.”

Clark, who studied mythology at Harvard University and writes proverbs and poems for the almanac, says folklore is not a rejection of technology but “a hunger for something else.” Often, nonsensical folk tales contain key wisdoms, including the most famous weather-related tale, Groundhog Day.

If you think this spring has felt wetter than normal, you wouldn’t be wrong – but perhaps it hasn’t been as wet as you think.

Tere’s been more precipitation in the past three months than normal, but not by much, says meteorologist Peter Kimble from Environment Canada

June so far is shaping up to be our worst offender. This year we’ve received 88 mm of precipitation – and we’re only a little more than half-way through. By comparison, Toronto’s average precipitation for the entire month of June is 71.5 mm.  

“You’ve already had more rain than in a whole month,” said Kimble.

After a torrential downpour that flooded streets and knocked down power lines across the city Wednesday evening, Mother Nature is trying to make it up to Toronto with a beautiful day on Thursday.

Environment Canada is forecasting sunny skies for all of today with nary a cloud in sight until the late evening. Temperatures will rise from the high teens in the morning to the mid-20s by the early afternoon, with a high of 25 C (27 with Humidex) in the evening. There’s a high UV index (8) to go along with the sunshine, so probably a good idea to bring some sunscreen if you’re planning on taking advantage of the rays.

And looks like most of the damage caused by Wednesday’s severe weather has been resolved too – nearly all Toronto Hydro customers had their power restored by Thursday morning and public transit was running with no problems (related to weather, anyway) either.

Mother Nature’s reconciliation won’t last long though – there’s a 60 per cent chance of more rain and thunderstorms come Friday, so make the most of today before we all get drenched again.

The weather brought a heavy downpour in Toronto Wednesday evening, which had closed the Bayview Extension earlier after flooding.

Flooding also caused trains to bypass Museum station, the TTC reported.

According to Toronto Hydro, there were power outages scattered across the city and crews are still on site dealing with downed power lines and trees as a result of the storm. One of the areas impacted by downed wires was the Shaw St. and College St. area.

Toronto Hydro is reminding people to stay away from downed lines and to call 416-542-8000 to report any outages.

The severe thunderstorm warning for the GTA has ended.

A tornado warning has been replaced by a severe thunderstorm warning for York-Durham regions.

The warning is in effect for areas including Newmarket, Pickering, Oshawa, Uxbridge, and Vaughan.

Environment Canada confirmed a storm had touched down in Sunderland between 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There may have been a Tornado in Keswick according to the agency, although there is no reported damage.

With summer teasing us from just around the corner, expect rain throughout the week with risk of thunderstorms.

Although nine beaches opened last weekend, don’t get ahead of yourself. Put away the beach towels and whip out the galoshes – at least for the next week. While the month of May treated us to an average daily high of 22.6 C, the first week of June tallies up to a cooler 19.9 C.

With the first day of summer teasing us from just around the corner on June 21, Mother Nature has offered torrential rain just for good measure.

Thunderstorms with major rain showers woke up light sleepers overnight around 2 a.m. and commuters were treated to grey skies and pouring rain during their Monday morning commute. The soggy summer conditions coupled with a TTC wide shutdown left many people uttering Garfield’s famous refrain, “I hate Mondays.”

With nine of Toronto’s 11 designated beaches opening this weekend, it’s looking like a great time to grab some sunshine, and bask in a warm, summer weekend. As long as you don’t try to do it on Sunday.

After today’s showers clear this evening, Saturday is expected to be bright and sunny, albeit a bit cooler than some beachcombers might like.

Environment Canada predicts a daytime high of 19C, or 14C closer to the lake, and the beaches.

But, Sunday looks to be a far more mixed day for sun tanning, with a mix of sun and clouds, a 30 per cent chance of showers and a high of 17C.

TORONTO—Wonder what this summer’s forecast will look like? The Weather Network suggests some hints for the future lie in the past.

The network’s summer outlook says that conditions across Canada will be very similar to the ones that prevailed during the same time in 2014.

Chief meteorologist Chris Scott says this means unusually balmy temperatures for British Columbia and the territories.

The forecast isn’t so sunny for Ontario and Quebec, where Scott says temperatures are expected to be cooler than seasonal norms overall.

It may be hot today but it will be no day at the beach.  A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for Toronto. Environment Canada says conditions are favourable to produce strong wind gusts, large hail and torrential rain.

The temperature will reach a high of 29 C, but showers or thunderstorms are expected to start around 3 p.m. The gloomy weather will continue into the evening and the temperature is expected to drop to a low of 9 C. 

Today’s low will be about the same as tomorrow’s high. A high of 10 C is expected on Sunday with periods of rain amounting to 10 to 15 mm. There’s a 60 per cent chance the showers will extend into the evening. A low of 7 C is expected.

Mother Nature apparently loves playing mind games with us, because after some empty threats of a severe thunderstorm Wednesday, she’s roundhouse-kicking Toronto right in the face today with blasts of sun and summer-y temperatures that would make palm trees feel at home. 

Swapping out umbrellas and rain jackets suitable for earlier (and gloomier) weather predictions, Thursday’s forecast calls for hats, short sleeves and sunglasses. Environment Canada is predicting a mainly sunny day with a high of 25 C (28 C with the humidex) and a light breeze throughout the day.

Sunscreen will also be a smart addition today with an expected high UV index of 7.

The beautiful weather will continue on into Friday (high of 29 C with plenty of sun) but apparently it won't last through the weekend. Toronto is supposed to be hit with thunderstorms Saturday, plummet down to the low teens on Sunday and Monday, and then gradually creep back into the 20s over the rest of next week.

Environment Canada lifted the severe thunderstorm watch for Toronto and the rest of southern Ontario Wednesday evening.

Earlier in the day thunderstorms were predicted to start in the afternoon and continue until the early evening.

Staying indoors may have been warranted though as there was still a chance of showers and risk of a thunderstorm later in the evening.

Any risk of showers was expected to clear by the end of the night, with a sunny day predicted for Thursday.

Your commute home today might be a wet one — Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for a large swath of Southern Ontario, including Toronto and the GTA.

The agency is predicting thunderstorms to start in the afternoon and rage until the early evening.

In case you can't remember what a severe thunderstorm looks like, it usually involves heavy rain, strong wind gusts and lots of thunder and lightning, so make sure you get indoors if and when the storm hits. And let’s all hope that we don’t get a repeat of the giant freak summer storm in 2013 that flooded and crippled the city and caused about $1 billion in damages to homes and infrastructure.

With all that being said, the last time Environment Canada threw a severe thunderstorm watch Toronto’s way was on May 9. The city barely got a drop of rain that day — it was mostly just miserable and cloudy.

CIUDAD ACUNA, MEXICO—A tornado raged through a city on the U.S.-Mexico border Monday, destroying homes, flinging cars like matchsticks and ripping an infant from its mother’s arms. At least 13 people were killed, authorities said.

In Texas, 12 people were reported missing in flash flooding from a line of storms that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.

The baby was also missing after the twister that hit Ciudad Acuna, a city of 125,000 across from Del Rio, Texas, sent its infant carrier flying. Rescue workers began digging through the rubble of damaged homes in a race to find victims.

The twister hit a seven-block area, which Victor Zamora, interior secretary of the northern state of Coahuila, described as “devastated.”

Sorry, Toronto. Despite AccuWeather’s incredibly optimistic summer forecast, it seems that Mother Nature has something else in mind: Environment Canada has issued a frost warning for Toronto and most of southern Ontario. Ground temperatures are expected to drop to 0C and below overnight.

Though the sun will be shining, the freezing temperatures will extend into early Saturday morning.

The good news? The unwelcome temperature plunge shouldn’t last for long. Environment Canada has called for highs of 20C and over throughout next week.   

Spring was definitely in the air Thursday, with temperatures reaching highs of 20 C.

Photographer David Cooper captured the jubilent atmosphere at Kew Gardens, where squirrels, children and shutterbugs mingled among the tulips. But the bliss won't last, and temperatures will drop to 8 C overnight. Friday will only climb up to a brisk 13 C.

Perhaps as a reward for surviving a winter that included snow in April, AccuWeather is predicting a warm, “comfortable” summer for Toronto this year.

In its 2015 Canadian summer forecast, AccuWeather reports that a dry flow of air from the west and northwest is expected to cause comparatively warmer days in Toronto and throughout the rest of the Eastern region.

As a result, Torontonians can expect a much-needed antidote to another bitter winter in the city. Several days are expected to reach 30 C or higher (patio-goers rejoice!).

And the good news keeps on coming: as senior meteorologist Brett Anderson explains, this summer heat won’t bring oppressive humidity.

Despite a sunny start to the long weekend, you might need an umbrella today.
You can expect a mix of sun and cloud with a 30 per cent chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorm.

Environment Canada predicts winds out of the southwest at around 20 km/h this afternoon, and a daytime high of 28 C, though it will feel more like 20 C close to the lake. The UV index will be very high, at 8.

It’s expected to cool off tonight with a low of 14 C, and once again a 30 per cent chance of showers and risk of thunderstorm.

Temperatures will drop after an unseasonably warm Monday, with the work week hovering just below 20 C, and mainly sunny conditions.

The Australian Government’s Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed that the tropical Pacific is now at El Niño levels, and Torontonians can rejoice . . . tentatively.

The warm winds from the Pacific will travel across Canada, potentially reaching as far as the East Cost, and could lead to a milder winter, after two blisteringly cold years, according to Environment Canada climatologist Dave Phillips.

El Niño is a meteorological phenomenon caused by unusually warm waters in the Pacific, in this case in the Indian Ocean. The last El Niño event was in 2010, but this one is expected to be much stronger.

Nothing is guaranteed, Phillips said, and many of the effects will not be clear until later in the year, but the last time we had an El Niño this strong was in 1997-98, which saw temperatures around three degrees higher than average, and 87 cm. of snow in Toronto, whish is well below the average of 110 cm.

VAN, TEXAS—About two dozen people were injured and some homes destroyed after a severe storm struck the small town of Van in northeast Texas, an emergency management official said.

The storm that the U.S. National Weather Service said likely produced a tornado hit the east side of Van Zandt County and the city of Van around 8:45 p.m. Sunday.

Chuck Allen, the Van Zandt County fire marshal and emergency management co-ordinator, said in an email early Monday that about 26 patients were transported to hospitals after a triage area was established at a church.

The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. About 30 per cent of the city suffered some kind of damage, he said.

Another round of severe weather took aim at the Great Plains and the Midwest on Sunday, with a tornado hitting a small South Dakota town, while a tropical storm arrived in South Carolina and more than a foot of snow fell in Southern Colorado and the Black Hills.

Tropical Storm Ana made landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Sunday morning and was weakening with top sustained winds of 35 mph.

National Weather Service meteorologist Philip Schumacher said law enforcement reported a tornado about 10:45 a.m. Sunday in Delmont, South Dakota, which is 90 miles from Sioux Falls. No deaths were immediately reported, and it wasn’t clear whether there were injuries, Schumacher said.

Sparsely populated ranching and farming communities in North Texas were left to clean up Sunday after tornadoes touched down in the area a day before, leaving one person dead and another in critical condition, authorities said. Cisco Fire Department spokesman Philip Truett said the two people were near each other when the tornado struck.

If your plans for Mother’s Day include being outdoors, you may want to reconsider — it looks like it's going to be a rainy day.

Showers are expected to begin this afternoon, according to Environment Canada, with a risk of a thunderstorm. Showers are expected to run into this evening, ending around midnight.

Despite the rain, you’ll be able to dress up in your summer clothes with an expected high of 25C and a high UV index of 7.

The bleak weather will continue into Monday, with a 60 per cent chance of showers and a risk of thunderstorms, once again. An overnight low of 13C is predicted, with a high of 23C Monday.

PSYCH! Looks like Toronto won’t be hit by a severe thunderstorm after all.

Environment Canada lifted its severe thunderstorm watch for the city and surrounding regions Saturday evening.

The storm was supposed to bring up to 50mm of rain to some areas, but it looks like it’ll just remain partly cloudy until the wee hours of the morning.

We’re not completely in the clear though – agency is still forecasting a chance of showers and risk of thunderstorms starting Sunday morning. On the bright side, there’s supposed to be a high of 26C (32C with Humidex), so if you’re feeling like dancing in the rain, go for it.

Environment Canada has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the GTA and Southern Ontario.

The watch was issued due to conditions that could see the development of severe thunderstorms, which could cause heavy rain.

The weather agency warns that the region could see isolated thunderstorms early this afternoon and into the evening, bringing with them heavy downpours of around 30 mm of rain. But, some regions could see more than one storm, which could cause an excess of 50 mm of rain in a short amount of time.

Hail and strong gusts are also possible. Residents are advised to take shelter if they see a storm approaching —  and pack an umbrella. 

Despite the wet weather, temperatures are expected to reach a warm 29 C Saturday, though it will feel closer to 21 near the lake, with an overnight low of 14C.

Torontonians, rejoice — after a particularly harsh winter, Mother Nature is rewarding the city with an early taste of summer.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the City of Toronto and most of southern Ontario calling for the “first taste of very warm, mid-summer weather today.”

In Toronto, Environment Canada is predicting sunny skies with high of 27 C (32 C with Humidex) in the afternoon, still below the threshold for a heat warning but well above the seasonal average of 18 C. We may even break the record high for May 8, which was set back in 2007 at 27.7 C.

The statement says that most areas in southern Ontario will hit the high 20s in the sunlight this afternoon, with some areas hitting 30 C or higher for the first time this year, although temperatures will be several degrees lower in areas by the Great Lakes.

OKLAHOMA CITY —  Authorities are investigating the damage left behind by severe storms carrying more than a dozen suspected tornadoes that swept across the southern U.S. Plains states Wednesday, bringing floods, forcing the evacuation of an international airport and destroying homes near Oklahoma City.

No deaths were immediately reported from the twisters that hit Oklahoma and rural parts of Kansas and Nebraska.

The worst damage seemed to be in the Oklahoma City area. A twister destroyed homes at Bridge Creek, Amber and Blanchard, southwest of the city, and it appeared another tornado touched down later Wednesday evening when a second storm came through the area.

“We have damage reports, so we do strongly think there was a tornado on the south side of Oklahoma City,” meteorologist Michael Scotten with the National Weather Service in Norman said after the second storm that hit around 8:40 p.m.

Flower lovers and photographers, get ready — Toronto’s cherry blossoms have started to bloom.

Three websites monitoring the delicate light-pink and white flowers in High Park are reporting that the first opened blossoms were spotted Saturday, with the peak bloom expected to hit on Wednesday.

Cherry blossoms, also known as sakura, usually last for around a week and a half, weather permitting — heavy rain can knock the delicate petals from the trees.

The most popular spot in the city to take in the flowers is at High Park, which boasts groves of cherry blossom trees around Hillside Gardens and by Grenadier Pond.

It’s been two months since the conclusion of Toronto’s coldest month in recorded history. This weekend, those frigid 28 days will feel like a distant memory.

Daytime highs for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the city will all be at least 20 C, and the sun will be shining, says Environment Canada.

Now’s the time to unpack your summer clothes. The city broke the 20 C barrier in April, but has yet to sustain that kind of weather over a three-day weekend this year.

May 1’s historical average daytime high is 16C. The first weekend of May 2014 only peaked in the low teens.

CHARLOTTETOWN—Residents of Charlottetown say it was one of the worst winters on record — and now they have some unofficial numbers to prove it.

Environment Canada says an estimated 12 centimetres of snow fell on the city Tuesday, which elevated the seasonal total past 539 centimetres.

That was the seasonal record set in 1971-72.

Meteorologist Linda Libby says the final, official figures are still being tallied.

What do you call flurries in April?

Springtime in Toronto.

If you woke up this morning to snow falling outside your window, it wasn’t a dream about Christmases past, but just another spring day in the GTA.

After a brief period of pleasant weather, chilly temperatures took hold of the city overnight. The mercury will bottom out at -4 C between 7 and 8 a.m. With the wind chill, it will feel like -8 C.

PATNA, INDIA—Extreme weather has caused death and destruction in far-flung parts of Asia. In India, at least 42 people lost their lives when an unseasonal storm swept through the eastern part of the country. In Australia, four people lost their lives as heavy rain and strong winds hit New South Wales, in the country’s southeast.

In eastern India, an unseasonal storm with heavy rain and hail killed at least 42 people, injured more than a hundred and caused heavy damage to the winter wheat crop, officials said Wednesday.

Most of the deaths were caused Tuesday night by tin roofs blown off poor people’s huts by winds reaching 65 kilometres per hour in northeastern parts of Bihar state, meteorologist R.K. Giri said. The storm subsided before daybreak.

Many Toronto residents won’t need any help enjoying the stretch of delightfully sunny, double-digit temperatures expected through Thursday in Environment Canada’s forecast.

But while residents are already planning their patio jaunts around rain, which is expected, one Toronto-based writer has a few suggestions for those looking for a little inspiration.

On her Instagram and Twitter accounts, Lindsay Zier-Vogel has posted a photo of her spring checklist, a list of precious springtime moments. It’s a series of firsts — “first crocus spotting” or “jacket-free jaunt” — in the season, and experiences which, come July and August, likely won’t be as special anymore.

Zier-Vogel has been mailing her friends personalized spring checklists for the last three or four years, she says, but has only just started selling them online.

A clear and mild weekend is ahead, but Toronto will first see a wet and windy Friday.

After late-night thunderstorms on Thursday, skies cleared a little overnight. But Environment Canada forecasts a 60 per cent chance of more rain into the early afternoon Friday, with a chance of thunderstorms again in the morning.

A previous rainfall warning for Toronto, though, was lifted just before 5 a.m.

Temperatures will start in the double-digits. A Friday morning high of 11 C will drop down to 6 C by the evening.

As Toronto braces for about 50 mm of rain this afternoon and evening, residents should be planning for a long and messy commute. Rainstorms such as these can cause flash flooding throughout the city as well as power outages, so make sure your phones and battery radios are charged.

According to Environment Canada, Toronto is under a heavy rainfall warning, with possible thunderstorms also expected in some areas. On average, rainfall amounts will be between 20 and 30 mm, but in some areas, this could go up to as high as 40 to 50 mm.

Environment Canada is warning residents to stay away from washouts near rivers, creeks, and culverts, as some localized flooding could happen in low-lying areas.

The Ontario Provincial Police released a warning Wednesday to keep children away from all bodies of water, regardless of depth. Flash floods can occur within minutes of excessive rainfall.

Rain, rain, won’t go away (for a few days).

The good news if you’re in Toronto this week is that we’re expecting a mostly mild, sunny weekend. The bad news if you’re in Toronto this week is that the weather will not be nice until then.

It’s been a damp day in the city, with periods of rain and drizzle and a risk of freezing rain over northern sections of the city, according to Environment Canada. We can expect about 5 mm of rain throughout the day, and winds are coming out of the east at 30 km/h, gusting to 50 km/h. The daytime high is 5 C.

And those gross conditions aren’t going anywhere – Environment Canada predicts periods of drizzle or rain in the afternoon tomorrow, with a high of 14 C, and a 70 per cent chance of showers on Friday, with a high of 16 C.

April showers are to be expected, but April flurries? Actually, it's all pretty normal.

A few flurries may be threatening Toronto's placid (thus far) spring, but overall, forecasters' anticipate a hotter-than-average season.

A light blanket of white covered the city Saturday, and more is expected Monday overnight. Although the sight of snow in spring is heartbreaking, it's actually the status quo for Toronto. April has an overall average of five centimetres of snow according to Environment Canada, and so far the city has seen two centimetres.

It will be a cloudy and wet week, Toronto. But there is a silver lining: by week's end the daytime highs should reach double digits, according to Environment Canada.

Monday will be mainly cloudy and the temperature will rise throughout the morning and reach 6 C. There is a chance of showers or drizzle Monday evening with the possibility of snow or freezing drizzle overnight, and a low of 1 C.

The chance of snow or rain will end sometime Tuesday morning with a mix of sun and cloud in the afternoon. The daytime high is forecast to be 8 C, the overnight low 0 C.

Wednesday will be the coldest day of the week with a daytime high of 4 C and an overnight low of -2 C. There might also be periods of rain or freezing rain.

Despite the fact that it is officially spring and we have had mild temperatures in the past week, Toronto has not seen the last of snow.

Flurries this morning will continue from the light snowfall overnight. They’ll let up by the early afternoon, says Environment Canada, but snowy periods will resume this evening. We can expect an overnight low of zero after a daytime high of 5 C.

Temperatures are expected to just be slightly milder into the week, with highs Monday and Tuesday of 6 C. But some combination of rain, freezing rain and flurries will persist through the wet week ahead.

Bottom line: don’t put away your hats and scarves yet. Winter is enjoying a last gasp.

The Easter long weekend is here and with it, the erratic weather that is typical of spring in Toronto.

The blanket of dense fog that covered the city this Good Friday morning will dissipate by the afternoon, but clouds are expected to hang around throughout the day. Rain will begin falling around 3 p.m., coming and going through the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will be mild today, with a comfortable daytime high of 13 C. The UV index is set at 4, or moderate, according to Environment Canada.

Friday’s clouds will fade away overnight as temperatures sink to a low of -5 C.

Saturday will be considerably cooler than the day before, with a daytime high of 4 C. A mix of sun and cloud is forecast for the morning and a 40 per cent chance of showers for the afternoon and evening.

Spring may have sprung and warmer temperatures might be on the way, but weather forecasters are warning Toronto residents to brace for some stormy weather Thursday evening.

In a special weather statement issued Wednesday evening, Environment Canada warns there is a risk of thunderstorms for Central Ontario starting early Thursday evening, although they are not expected to be severe.

It could be a messy day for precipitation in the province: parts of Central and Eastern Ontario have been warned of longer lasting freezing rain overnight into Thursday morning.

Although the city of Toronto could play host to some showers and scattered thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and evening, the city is expected to enjoy a mix or sun and cloud for most of the day.

It takes more than just sun in the sky and a pitcher of sangria to mark the official start of patio season in Toronto.

Lengthening days and warming temperatures may turn our winter-weary hearts toward the delights of dining alfresco, but like many other aspects of city life, regulations and red tape come before the party.

Bylaws governing when and how businesses may set up patios were written pre-amalgamation, and thus differ across the GTA. In the former municipalities of Toronto and East York, businesses must apply for a permit to have a patio on public property (such as a sidewalk), through the Licence & Permit Issuing Office.

According to the city’s wesbite, patios and cafe railings must be removed between mid-November and mid-April to make room for snow clearing.

Happy Monday, Toronto. It’s shaping up to be a cool, wet week, but Thursday will be the highlight of the week as the daytime high should reach 14 C.

It will be a mainly cloudy Monday morning, according to Environment Canada. Winds will pick up throughout the morning and will move at 30 to 50 km/h, with gusts up to 70 km/h. The clouds will start to clear in the early afternoon making way for the daytime high of 7 C. The high winds will continue into the evening. Overnight, winds will slow down and the temperature will fall to -3 C, which will feel like -6C with the wind chill.

Tuesday will be mainly cloudy throughout the day, but the clouds will clear in the evening. The daytime high should hover around 3 C and the overnight low should drop to -7 C.

Wednesday will be the sunniest day of the week and the daytime temperature should rise to 7 C with an overnight low of 2 C.

Thursday will feel more spring-like as the daytime high should be 14 C. However, there is a 40 per cent chance of showers throughout the day. The temperature will fall to 2 C overnight.

With the wind chill making it feel like -20 C Saturday morning, Toronto Public Health’s extreme cold weather warning will remain in effect until noon.

As is often the case in Toronto, numbers on the thermostat do not seem to reflect the weather outdoors. Temperatures in Toronto will climb from -10 C to -3 C by noon, but that nasty wind chill will make it feel like a wintry -16 C.

Winds will blow north at speeds of 30 km/h throughout the day, slowing to 10 km/h around 8 p.m. this evening.

The city will lift its cold weather alert by midday, and temperatures will hover at around -1 C,  or -8 C with the wind chill, until sunset, when they will begin their nightly decent downward. The overnight low is expected to dip to  -9 C and -14 C with the wind chill.

The calendar says "spring," but your numb fingers and toes will say otherwise if you're brave enough to venture outdoors Friday night.

The city of Toronto issued an extreme-cold-weather alert Friday for the second time since the vernal equinox on March 20.

Temperatures will jump around a bit today, from -4C in the morning up to -2C around 4 p.m., and back down to -4C in the evening. With the wind chill however, it will feel like a much colder -9C for most of the day. There is a 40 per cent chance of flurries for the morning and early afternoon, and skies will remain mostly cloudy into the evening. 

Winds will blow northwest at 20 km/h today, picking up speed to 30 km/h late in the day. The UV index will be 3, or moderate, according to Environment Canada.

HALIFAX — Schools were closed in parts of the Maritimes on Monday and police were urging people to stay off the roads as the cleanup continued from a series of winter storms that dumped massive amounts of snow on the region.

All schools in the Halifax Regional School Board were shut down for the day to allow for snow clearing on school grounds, giving students an extra day off after last week's spring break. The board said it needs another day to improve conditions at the schools, following the latest storm on the weekend.

Classes were also cancelled for all schools in the English Language School Board in P.E.I., along with some schools in northern New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

Environment Canada issued blowing snow warnings in western and southern Newfoundland, while there were wind warnings for eastern Labrador. It said travel was expected to be hazardous in the areas due to flurries and snow squalls.

It will be a sunny day today to usher the kids back to school after March Break, but don't let the sun fool you.

Temperatures this morning will be between -9 and -12 with wind chill values between -17 to -20 C. The daytime high will be -3 C with a wind chill of -10 C. It will be partly cloudy tonight with a low of -10 C.

Nomal temperatures for this time of year are typically between -2 and 7 C.

But don't fear: Tuesday marks the beginning of a three-day warming trend. The sunshine will continue, with temperatures to match, with 2 C during the day and an overnight low of -2 C.

A supertide turned France's famed Mont Saint-Michel into an island on Saturday and then retreated out of sight, delighting thousands of visitors who came to see the rare phenomenon.

The so-called "tide of the century" actually happens every 18 years. Although the tide rushes in and out along the whole northern French coast, it's especially dramatic at the UNESCO world heritage site, an ancient abbey normally linked to the mainland only by a narrow causeway at high tide.

But the supertide, said to rise at the pace of a horse's gallop, turned the Mont briefly into an island Saturday, while the day's low tide allowed people to walk on the expansive flat seabed.

Among those at the abbey on Saturday was Wilfred James, who drove six hours from central France in time for the morning tide.

It may be spring, but winter-like temperature is descending on Toronto again as the city issues an extreme cold weather alert.

Dr. David McKeown, Toronto's medical officer of health issued the alert early Sunday morning.

According to Environment Canada, temperature for the city early Sunday morning is -10 C and may feel like up to -19 C with wind chill.

Temperature is expected to rise to a high of -1 C later in the day, but will drop to -14 overnight, the weather agency says.

1.    Birdsong. You can hear them before you see them: song birds like the American robin and the red-winged blackbird, auguring warmth and rebirth. The season’s soundtrack.

2.    Baseball. The boys of summer actually start playing meaningful games in April (opening day is on the 5^th this year). The chaw and the pine tar and the acres of grass — they exude all the energy and renewed vigor of spring.

3.    Chlorophyll. The biomolecule that makes the world go green. It’s the secret sauce of photosynthesis, and every spring it ends winter’s icy, salty whiteness.  

HALIFAX — Blowing snow battered parts of Atlantic Canada for the second time in three days Wednesday, closing businesses and government offices and snarling transportation in the region.

Environment Canada meteorologist Darin Borgel said Nova Scotia bore the brunt of a slow moving low pressure system south of the province that was expected to dump up to 30 centimetres or more snow on northern and eastern areas of the province throughout the day.

There was potential for higher amounts with the rapidly intensifying storm, said Borgel.

“The further east you go the longer the snow will persist and the more snow we’re expecting,” he said.

The Northern Lights have been untethered from the north.

Time is running out for Canadians and even lucky Torontonians to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, after researchers reported a disturbance in the Earth’s geomagnetic field that has, in turn, pushed the northern lights south.

It took a few days for the results of a strong solar eruption that occurred on Sunday to reach Earth, but when it did, researchers say it disturbed the particles in the Earth’s geomagnetic field, and pushed the shimmering belts of other-worldly hues south, crossing over areas like Toronto and New York.

As temperatures are on the rise for the GTA, winter just won’t let up in the Maritimes as the region gets another blast of winter over the weekend.

And aren’t you glad it’s not us?

Snow, snow, and more snow has been served up to our friends out east. The Maritimes have been plagued with a flurry of flight, bus, and ferry cancellations, road and school closures, and power outages as yet another winter storm has left its mark.

Sydney, N.S. saw the most snow with a whopping 59 cm while Halifax accumulated a mere 20 cm compared to the rest of the Maritimes. Thanks to the storm, community events were cancelled and businesses were closed Sunday in Halifax.

Happy Monday Toronto. If you’re planning to head outside to celebrate March Break, or go out to play with the dog, today will be the day to do so because it will be the warmest day of the week.

Environment Canada is forecasting a daytime high of 13 C, which is well above the seasonal norms of -4 to 5 C.

It will be mainly cloudy for the early part of the morning, but the clouds will partially clear later this morning. West winds will move at 15 km/h. It will begin to cloud over again this evening and periods of rain are expected after the evening commute. Northwest winds will pick up to 30 km/h throughout the evening. The rainy periods will continue overnight and there is a chance of flurries during Tuesday’s morning commute. The overnight low is expected to drop to 0 C.

Clouds will begin to clear late Tuesday morning, but it should be a windy afternoon with gusts up to 70 km/h possible. The high should be 2 C with an overnight low of -8 C. 

The last week of winter is starting with a bang in the Maritimes, as blizzard and winter storm warnings remain in effect through much of the region.

Environment Canada says parts of P.E.I. and New Brunswick can expect another 20 centimetres of snow Sunday on top of what fell overnight.

Airports across the Maritimes were showing mostly cancelled flights Sunday morning.

In Halifax, heavy snow followed by ice pellets led to poor driving conditions, with police reporting vehicles stuck in city streets and advising drivers to stay off the roads if possible.

Recreational facilities and post-secondary campuses across the city were closed Sunday morning because of the weather.

The low pressure system is expected to move on to Newfoundland late Sunday, bringing blizzard conditions to the island overnight and into Monday.