Canada faces lingering winter as April snowfall looms ahead of hot 2026 and upcoming El Niño

Spring has officially begun in Canada, but winter conditions continue to dominate much of the country, with forecasters warning that colder-than-normal temperatures and lingering snowfall could delay a full seasonal transition well into April.

According to Environment Canada, several provinces reported a mix of snow, rain, fog, overcast skies, and ice crystals on Friday(March 20).

According to Global News, Anthony Farnell, chief meteorologist, said it may take some time before Canada can fully move past winter conditions.


“April is expected to be colder than normal for much the country,” he said. “Now, normals are higher in April, so it’s not like it’s going to be a deep freeze or anything like that. But still, it is a slow go for the next month, a month and a half.”

Snowfall likely to persist across much of Canada

The transition into spring has been challenging, with Anthony Farnell noting that much of Canada continues to feel the lingering effects of the past winter.

“We have this Arctic air that is just to the north. It’s encompassing much of the Arctic right now, but it doesn’t take much for days to be below seasonal.”

“It’s going to be even for the first half of April, the likelihood of at least seeing some snow falling.”

According to Global News, Canada endured a harsher and more prolonged winter than usual, with much of the country gripped by a polar vortex for days at the start of 2026, conditions that may not be entirely behind it yet.

“The polar vortex, it’s kind of retreated back up to the north, so we’re likely done with that until maybe next winter,” Farnell said.

El Niño expected in June

According to Global News, Environment and Climate Change Canada said its latest global temperature outlook suggests 2026 is likely to rank among the hottest years ever recorded.

Canada is preparing for the onset of an El Niño in June, a phenomenon that occurs when surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific, stretching westward from Ecuador, become warmer than average, triggering shifts in atmospheric circulation that influence weather patterns across much of the globe.