Old Farmer's Almanac predicts chance of white Christmas in southern Ontario

The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts a chance of a white Christmas across southern Ontario this year. The forecast covers both the eastern and western parts of the region. It defines a white Christmas as having at least 2.5 centimetres of snow on the ground on December 25. The prediction comes despite earlier forecasts for a mild winter across the province due to a record-setting El Niño.

"In southern Ontario, there is a chance of a white Christmas in the east and a white Christmas in the west," predicts the Almanac. Its December outlook calls for flurries and mild temperatures in southeastern Ontario between December 23 and 31. Southwestern Ontario is forecast to see snowy periods and cold temperatures during that same final week of the year. The possibility of snow on the ground for the holiday follows reports that this could be Ontario's "mildest winter in years." Meteorologists attribute the expected mild conditions to a supersized El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon. El Niño events typically develop between March and June, reaching peak intensity between November and February.

The Weather Network states that December temperatures in Toronto during strong El Niño years have averaged 2.6 C warmer than normal. This offers some hope that this winter might not feel as harsh as past years. The Almanac's white Christmas forecast is based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration definition, which refers to snow on the ground rather than snowfall on the day itself. The new report predicts prime conditions for a white Christmas across a large patch of the northeast, including portions of the Great Lakes region like Southern Ontario. Many in the province may still be boxing up their Halloween decorations, but meteorologists are looking ahead to perhaps the only day of the year when people actually want precipitation.

With files from blogTO