Spring officially begins on Friday, but unfortunately it won’t look like it in Toronto. The city’s weather will remain cold and unsettled; according to Environment Canada, scattered flurries are expected across parts of Ontario on Friday, the first day of spring, with temperatures staying near freezing.
Thursday, March 19 will be mostly dry. Temperatures will reach a high of 7 C and will drop to 0 C overnight. Skies are expected to be partly cloudy, with slight chance of snow.
On Friday, temperatures will be similar, with high of 10 C and low of 0 C. Flurries are expected throughout the day, and there is a chance of rain or freezing rain in some areas. Rods and sidewalks could be slippery during morning hours.
It’s going to be a disappointing start to spring; the wet and grey weather is expected to continue into the weekend. Flurries may continue on Saturday and could extend into Monday, while daytime highs remain in the low single digits. Overall, conditions will continue to feel more like winter than spring despite the calendar marking the start of the new season.
While this may feel unseasonably cold, it’s pretty standard for the first day of spring in Toronto: the average March 20 temperature over the years in the city has usually hovered around 6 C. The highest we’ve seen was in 2012, when Toronto reached a high of 20.9 C. If only!
Late March in Toronto is often unpredictable when it comes to the weather, with temperatures fluctuating and snowfall still possible even as spring begins. While warmer and sunnier days are expected in April, the first week of spring will remain cold and partly snowy. The Weather Network’s recent spring forecast warned of a more fickle April in Toronto than normal; expect mild spells offset by periods of colder weather, and even some above normal precipitation — which sadly means a little more snow and ice!
