Ontario feels warmest start to February before seasonal temperatures return
February in Ontario started off on a historically warm note, but will end on a seasonally cooler note
If one thing has been certain across Ontario this winter, it's that it has been a relatively easy one. The most difficult aspect thus far has been the lack of sunlight.
December and January were both above seasonal in Ontario, largely due to El Niño. That above-seasonal trend continued into the start of February, with the first 10 days of the month being dominated by mild temperatures, especially in the south, where we surpassed 15°C in Windsor, London, Hamilton, and Toronto.
It led to the majority of Ontario seeing its warmest start to February on record. Southern Ontario was about 6-8 degrees above normal and northern Ontario was 12-15°C above normal. While northern Ontario wasn’t as warm as the south, compared to its normal temperatures being closer to -10 to -15°C on average for this time of year, it is a substantial difference.
RELATED: Record warmth melts Great Lakes ice to historic February lows
Back to a wintry reality
Hopefully you were able to enjoy the unseasonal warmth because the mild temperatures are now behind us, and seasonal temperatures are back in the forecast this week.
Temperatures will be hovering around the freezing mark across southern Ontario and back to the minus double digits in northern Ontario.
Going forward into the rest of the February, temperatures will drop even further for the end of the month, which means we’ll have to wait a bit longer for real spring to start.
Keep checking back to The Weather Network for more forecast information and updates on your weather across Ontario.
