Open in full screen mode The lack of snow complicates things for small ski centers trying to ensure their profitability. The Canadian Press Most regions of Canada likely won't have a white Christmas this year, according to the senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. If you don't have snow now, you won't get any, David Phillips said. He said that in many areas that traditionally celebrate a white Christmas, there will be no snow. The technical definition of ;a white Christmas is two centimeters of snow remaining on the ground, Phillips said. This is the Canadian standard. Millions of Canadians won't have one. In Montreal, the slopes for sliding at the foot of Mount Royal are closed, and the skating rinks too, due to heavy rain and mild temperatures. The a few patches of Calgary snow await their fate, as forecasts call for temperatures well above freezing and warm Chinook-like winds. Loading ELSEWHERE IN NEWS: Foreign interference: Commission hearings to begin January 29 In Ottawa, where heavy snowfalls are frequent, lawns are covered with #x27 ;an icy powder that doesn't make sledding or snowballing, but at least shines nicely in the sun. After two consecutive White Christmases, Vancouver is almost certain to end its streak this year. Cypress Mountain ski resort, north of Vancouver, said on Platform rain forecast on Christmas Day. From Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, and from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, to Iqaluit, Nunavut, snow accumulations at the end November were 10 to 15 centimeters below average. Some places, like southeastern British Columbia, have 50 centimeters less snow than average. This means that southern Canada is almost devoid of any appreciable snow cover. Environment Canada's snow map uses brown dots to indicate snow-free stations, and it is brown from coast to coast. Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax… all brown dots. Online ski information indicates that 41 resorts across the country have opened an average of only a third of their slopes. If you want snow, you have three choices: the coast of Newfoundland along St. John's, Quebec's Saguenay region, and a small pocket of the Rockies in southwestern Quebec. Alberta. All are 15 to 20 centimeters taller than average. It's not huge, but enough to make a snowman or roll down a hill. The snow did not have a chance to accumulate, Phillips said. It's just too hot and too dry. We've been setting all sorts of records for hot temperatures and that's been the case all summer and certainly into October and November. Mr. Phillips is already worried about the effects of dry weather on next year's crops and forests. Humidity is a big concern on the Prairies, he said. Last year's wildfires started because of winter conditions. This doesn't look good at a time when we should be recharging soil moisture. A quote from David Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada Almost the entire country is classified as abnormally dry, the Tool says Environment Canada drought monitoring. Some locations in southern Alberta are already at the exceptional level, that is, at the top of the classification system. Parts of British Columbia continue to experience extreme drought conditions, with the Peace River and Fort Nelson areas classified as Level 5, the highest level of drought activity with almost certain negative impacts , depending on the province. El Niño – a periodic weather system that brings warm weather to much of North America – is partly to blame for this abnormal weather. This year, the system started early and strong, Phillips said. Additionally, Arctic air descending toward southern latitudes has not been as cold as usual. All it takes place in a changing climate that has made the summer of 2023 the hottest in the planet's history. El Niño is different now, Phillips said. This is happening against the backdrop of a warming world.
Foreign interference: Commission hearings to begin January 29
By Natasha Kumar
Natasha Kumar has been a reporter on the news desk since 2018. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining The Times Hub, Natasha Kumar worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my natasha@thetimeshub.in 1-800-268-7116