The temperatures are now warming up, which means that it's almost time to crumple your winter jacket into a ball and stuff it in a remote part of your closet so you won't have to look at it again until October. It also means that the snow has started to melt and we will soon remember that there is still actually grass on the ground.
Canada has seen one of the coldest winters in recent history, and so in much of the country the snow is still piled high. Unfortunately, as this record-breaking amount of snow begins to thaw, it will lead to floods scattered accross Canada.
READ ALSO: Montreal Is Going To Have Some Very Weird Weather Next Week
TL;DR Many parts of the country are at risk of flooding this spring, like much of southern Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba, and Alberta.
Flooding happens in part because of the rapid melting of large volumes of snow, but it is also impacted by the level of humidity in the air. Both of these factors are present in many parts of Canada.
The areas likely to see flooding are below, broken down by region:
The Maritimes
New Brunswick is likely to see floods again this year. In 2018 the province had to deal with record high water levels.
Quebec and Ontario
Quebec City, for example, saw abnormally large amounts of snowfall this winter, and there is still about a meter of snow on the ground. Quebec City and the south of the province is likely to struggle with floods.
Springtime flooding isn't unheard of in Quebec. Recall, for example, the floods that covered part of Montreal Island in 2017.
The northern parts of Ontario may experience flooding, depending on how fast temperatures rise.
The Prairies
Much of the prairies will be affected. Winnipeg and the rest of southern Manitoba as well as Edmonton and its surrounding areas are likely to see floods. It's predicted that Saskatchewan will be spared from flooding.
@khagz_West Coast
Despite some floods early on in the season, experts believe that flooding should be minimal because of the average amount of snowfall this year.
Thanks to rising temperatures, experts also claim that we should expect springtime floods to be the new norm. Warmer temperatures can lead to a yearly increase in floodings.
Hopefully, the tens of thousandsof Canadian students on strike today can exert enough pressure on politicians to adopt more comprehensive environmental policy and avoid even more intense flooding in the years to come.
