After a couple winters with milder temperatures, Waterloo Region is being told to brace for a classic Canadian winter.
As Dec. 21 nears, there are a few different explanations for how winter will unfold across Canada.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a “milder-than-average” season, while the Weather Network expects a “wild ride from start to finish.”
But here in the region, Robert McLeman, an environmental studies professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, believes there will be a strong chance of storms this year, including snow in December.
“This is what we call a La Niña winter, which means that we're going to get unsettled weather across North America,” he says.
McLeman believes this will be an expensive winter for the region, due to the cost of clearing roads and repairing potholes caused by the snow.
However, the general manager of Chicopee Tube Park, Bob Harris, is more than happy about the possible wintery conditions.
“Natural snow is like marketing for us,” he says.
“People … get out there and say ‘OK, winter activity, let’s go out and do some things.’”
The park hopes to open a week before Christmas holidays and stay open right through until Easter weekend.
Environment Canada will release their official forecast next week, but according to climatologist David Phillips, it won’t be a winter as harsh as people think it will be.
With reporting by Maleeha Sheikh
