麻豆传媒AV

ACCUWEATHER — Winters in Canada are typically cold and snowy in many regions, but due to the orientation of the jet stream and the climatological phenomenon known as La Niña, some areas will bear the brunt of stormy weather while people in other areas could experience a break on their heating bill.

Longtime AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, who has spent decades forecasting the weather in Canada, has put together AccuWeather's annual winter forecast for the country, detailing what Canadians can expect for the upcoming season.

For the third year in a row, the climatological phenomenon known as La Niña will be present. According to Anderson, it is sure to play a vital role in the overall weather pattern this coming winter.

During a La Niña phase, sea surface temperatures in the open waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean dip to below-average levels. In an update from mid-October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that the La Niña phase was "still in charge" in the Pacific Ocean and there is a "75% chance La Niña will be present this winter."

When La Niña is present, an amplified polar jet stream ushers in cold air and more frequent storms to the western half of Canada. While La Niña will be the primary driver of the winter pattern across much of North America, Anderson warns that a slight shift in the wind direction could enhance or counter its impacts.

While British Columbia should see near normal temperatures, they are expected to plummet across the Prairies

A cold winter is in the cards for western and central parts of the Canadian Prairies. Farther east, temperatures will remain near normal during the winter season.

Unlike last year, when the polar vortex fueled extreme blasts of bitterly cold air across the southern Prairies, the orientation of the jet stream will be responsible for ushering in Arctic air masses, which will send temperatures plummeting across Alberta and Saskatchewan.

In Calgary, Alta, the average high temperature during meteorological winter, which runs from December through February, is 1 degree Celsius (33.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to Anderson. Residents there can expect temperatures to be lower than average this winter. But, Anderson says, "Farther east in the lower elevations of the Prairies, where there will not be any upslope enhancement, the winter will tend to be drier compared to normal," Anderson said, explaining that cold, Arctic air does not hold much in terms of moisture.

Temperatures in Manitoba are expected to be near normal, but one thing residents in the lower elevations should be prepared for is the wind. Anderson noted that this winter may be "windier than average."

Anderson says residents in much of the eastern half of Canada who are big fans of milder temperatures are in luck this winter.

Due to the orientation of the jet stream, the coldest air will stay well to the northwest of some of the country's most populated and visited cities, like Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. The lack of persistent cold and an increase in relative humidity will help residents in eastern Canada save a few dollars on heating costs.

Atlantic Canada can expect winter to start off like a lamb, but end like a lion.