We haven’t even made it to fall yet, but many Canadians are already starting to feel a chill in the air (and dreading the inevitable arrival of winter).
In case you’re wondering what kind of weather our longest season has in store for us, the Old Farmer’s Almanac dropped its outlook for winter 2026-2027 this week, and there’s some good news (and some not-so-good news) buried in it for Quebecers.
For context, the Almanac builds its long-range forecasts using solar activity, historical climate patterns and meteorological trends, compared against a 30-year statistical baseline. It’s not a day-by-day forecast, but more a broad sense of how the season should shake out. With that said, it claims an 80% accuracy rate for its long-range weather predictions.
Here’s how this winter should shake out.
Canada’s 2026-2027 winter forecast
Nationally, this winter is shaping up to be a split one. Most of southern Canada should run near or above normal temperature-wise, while a wide stretch of central Canada, plus southeastern Ontario, gets stuck with the cold instead. Snow lovers in both the east and west of the country have plenty to look forward to, per the forecast, while the middle largely misses out.
What about Quebec?
Southern Quebec lands on the milder side of that divide, with above-normal temperatures expected overall. That’s the good news. The catch is that precipitation is forecast to come in below normal, yet snowfall is still projected to land near to slightly above average, so a warmer winter doesn’t necessarily mean a lighter one once the snow actually starts falling.
It’s not all mild stretches, either. The coldest periods are expected in early to mid-January and again in mid- to late February, so don’t get too comfortable heading into the new year.
The snowiest periods of the season
As for when to expect the snow itself, the Almanac points to a handful of windows spread across the season: mid- to late December, mid- and late January, mid- and late February, and early to mid-March. That’s a lot of separate snowy stretches rather than one big dump, so shovels will probably be getting a workout clear through spring.
Quebec’s far from alone there. Atlantic Canada, southern Ontario, the northwestern Prairies through British Columbia, and southern Nunavut are all forecast to see above-normal snowfall too. Quebec may dodge the worst of the cold hitting central Canada, but not the snow that’s coming with it either way.
None of this is set in stone, since long-range outlooks like this one can shift the closer winter actually gets. But if the Almanac’s record holds up, it might be worth getting the shovel and snow tires ready a little earlier than usual this year.