Your lucky town might score weather gold this St. Patrick’s Day
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
It’s the luckiest weekend of the year for revellers far and wide hoping to enjoy the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day.
Folks planning to head outside for backyard gatherings and community parades alike are looking for a bit of atmospheric fortunes heading their way this weekend.
But who’s going to find a pot of gold waiting at the end of the forecast? There’s a clear winner this year—and it’s great news for one of the country’s largest St. Patrick’s Day events.
DON’T MISS: Warmest winter ever: Canada's record season reaches new heights
The skies over Canada this weekend are sharply divided between a taste of spring and a dollop of gloom.
Communities in the western half of the country will enjoy calm conditions and above-seasonal temperatures, while an active storm track back east promises unsettled conditions and cooler weather.
A warm spell for Western Canada
Luck is on your side across Western Canada this weekend.
A ridge of high pressure building over the western shores of North America will flex its influence across British Columbia and Alberta heading into the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Air sinking toward the ground beneath this strong ridge will heat up as it descends, pushing temperatures into record territory for some communities across the region.
Conditions will come in more than 10 degrees above seasonal for many spots across B.C. and Alberta heading into this weekend, with the year’s first daytime highs in the 20s likely for inland portions of B.C. Readings in Edmonton, Grande Prairie, and even across the border into B.C.’s Fort St. John may all set heat records on Sunday.
Vancouver is on track to enjoy a stunning weekend with highs of 20°C on Saturday and 19°C on Sunday. The comfortable stretch is excellent news for folks hoping to enjoy the twentieth anniversary of CelticFest, a large family festival held in the city centre.
Gloomier conditions back east
Weather extremes beget weather extremes, and folks across the Great Lakes will see a gloomy weekend as the pattern makes up for the unseasonable warmth bathing Western Canada.
Temperatures will remain above-seasonal for much of southern Ontario and Quebec this weekend. Folks in Toronto should see daytime highs a few degrees above freezing around the middle of March—but this weekend will see highs in the upper single digits. That warmth comes at a cost.
A large trough swinging into the Great Lakes will bring plenty of clouds and unsettled conditions. Expect to dodge occasional showers on Saturday and Sunday if you’ve got outdoor plans across the region. This includes Toronto's annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.
The cold air should allow snow chances to return for southern and eastern Ontario by the beginning of the week.
Who has the most ‘Irish’ weather?
The appealing shades of emerald green that are an iconic part of St. Patrick’s Day festivities stem from Ireland’s temperate climate.
Ireland sits at the end of the warm North Atlantic Current, affording the country temperate and frequently wet conditions that lend the country its rich greenery.
RELATED: St. Patrick's Day green traditions linked to these weather patterns
A typical St. Patrick’s Day across the heart of the island would see a daytime high temperature hovering just above 10°C with a nighttime low of about 4°C, according to data collected by Met Éireann, Ireland’s meteorological service.
Rain is common across the country during the middle of March. Dublin Airport in the east and Shannon Airport in the west both recorded rain about half the time on March 17 over the past couple of decades.
Whose weather across Canada will most closely resemble Ireland’s typical St. Patrick’s Day this year?
It’s…London, Ontario! The town can expect highs of 10°C on Saturday and 9°C on Sunday, accompanied by frequent clouds and opportunities for showers. Nighttime lows will be a bit chillier than they’re used to across the Atlantic, but the days will feel quintessentially Irish for this festive weekend.
Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on your weekend forecast across Canada.
