Does winter seem long this year? This chart is a reality check

Feb 26, 2024

Stubborn snowbanks remain in eastern Ontario. On the prairies, an early-April blast of winter tested our patience. But, as we grumble (yet again) about how long the winter is, this is a reminder that snow in April is normal — at least for many Canadians.

A look back at weather records since 2000 from Environment and Climate Change Canada shows that April showers are by no means a guarantee.

Those in Calgary, for example, may remember a modest 3.2-centimetre dash of winter on June 6, 2009. And Torontonians, famous for their zen-like approach to snow, were greeted with 2.8 centimetres on April 24, 2002.

In Manitoba, a Colorado low brought a gift of at least 20 centimetres of snow this week, though Winnipeggers should know better than to pack away their winter boots, since the latest snowfall of at least a centimetre on record since 2000 was on May 17, 2015.

Here is a look at the maximum recorded daily snowfall in the spring months and what the latest significant spring snowfall is for some major Canadian cities.

Methodology note: In most cases data comes from weather stations at airports for each city. However, in Regina, we opted to use station data in Qu'Appelle because of data availability. Qu'Appelle, a volunteer station, is located about 50 kilometres from the centre of Regina.

Producer, data visualizations and graphics

Graeme Bruce is a producer for CBC News, based in Ottawa. Previously, he was a digital editor at the Winnipeg Free Press. Find him on Twitter @graemebruce_ and reach him by email at [email protected].