Today, we reveal the entire 2024–2025 winter weather map for CANADA. The 2025 Almanac predicts a winter with a “heart of cold,” forecasting big freezes and heavy snowfall in the central provinces. Find more information weatherwise—and where to find your copy of The 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac Canadian Edition!
Are you looking for the U.S. winter weather predictions? See the U.S. winter map and forecasts for 2024–2025.
What Is the 2024–2025 Winter Forecast?
“‘Temperate’ is on tap for most of the country this winter, but let it snow in Ontario!” proclaims Carol Connare, the Almanac’s editor-in-chief. “A winter of big freezes and heavy snowfall will be centered in Ontario and eastern Manitoba, while most of the rest of the country will get some relief and reprieve from snow shoveling and super-cold temperatures.”
While Saskatchewan will be (mostly) spared the mountains of snow arriving to the east, the area should brace for below-average temperatures throughout the season. This chilling forecast is also true for the southern sections of British Columbia and Alberta. The most southerly portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan will also be soaked this winter, with a few snowstorms interspersed with other types of precipitation.
The summer of 2025 will usher in a rainy season for much of Canada. In fact, northern parts of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, as well as southern Ontario, will experience a “gardener’s summer” with balmy temperatures and lots of moisture—which will mean little watering and great growing!
See regional forecast summaries further down this page!
What’s Inside the New 2025 Almanac?
As loyal readers know, The Old Farmer’s Almanac is about much more than weather. It’s packed with wit and wisdom and new stories every year—all useful with a pleasant degree of humor!
The 2025 Canadian edition also explores how tomatoes (once dismissed as “odious and repelling-smelling berries” by The Horticulturalist) became North America’s favorite vegetable.
Also, discover the surprising Canadian history of America’s favorite pastime, why incidences of “white dragons” (aka avalanches) are on the rise, and how caring Canadian keepers are helping endangered cow breeds make a comeback. In addition, the Almanac looks into whether Earth is on a collision course with the collection of space rubble known as Bennu!
The 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac Canadian Edition also invites readers to have fun and flourish by learning how to:
• Trick a garden located anywhere into growing (almost) anything
• Start and care for a backyard flock of chickens
• Catch, cook, and truly appreciate Nature’s original “fish sticks”—that is, smelts!
• Garden by the cycles of the Moon
• Explore—by canoe—the history and grandeur of the Boundary Waters between Canada and the U.S.
• Understand and interpret the curious behaviors of cats
• Find health and happiness in a cup of tea
• Give the perfect hug (or just replicate its feeling and benefits)
The brand-new edition includes all of this, plus the Almanac’s “Trends” predictions for 2025, the humor of Anecdotes & Pleasantries, Mind-Mangling puzzles, award-winning holiday recipes, 12 months of weather forecasts for all 5 regions of Canada (plus the Yukon and NWT online), and so much more!
Be the First to Get Your 2025 Almanac!
Now in its 233rd year, The Old Farmer’s Almanac is the oldest almanac and best-selling annual in Canada.
Regional Winter Forecast Summaries
Region 1: Atlantic Canada
How Cold Will Winter Be?
Winter will not be as cold as usual in the easternmost region of Canada. The coldest times will come during early to mid-December and late February.
Will There Be Snow?
Precipitation will be above normal in the east and below in the west. Snowfall will be below normal throughout the region, offering a break from endless shoveling. It will be snowiest in early December, mid-January, and early and late February.
Region 2: Southern Quebec
How Cold Will Winter Be?
Winter temperatures in southern Quebec will also be warmer than usual. The coldest periods will be in early to mid-December and late February.
Will There Be Snow?
Precipitation and snowfall across southern Quebec will be below normal. Expect the snowiest periods in early to mid-December, early to mid-January, mid- and late February, and early March.
Region 3: Southern Ontario
How Cold Will Winter Be?
Winter will be colder than normal in central Canada! The coldest periods will fall in early December, early and late January, and late February.
Will There Be Snow?
Precipitation will be above average throughout Southern Ontario. Snowfall will be above average in the west and below average in the east. The snowiest periods will be in early November, early and late December, much of January and February, and early March.
Region 4: The Prairies
How Cold Will Winter Be?
Winter will be colder than normal throughout the Prairies. It will be coldest in early and late December, early and late January, and mid- and late February.
Will There Be Snow?
Yes! Both precipitation and snowfall will be above normal throughout this region all winter. Expect snow early, with heavy snowfall in mid-to-late November. It will be snowiest in early and late December, early January, mid-February, and early March.
Region 5: Southern British Columbia
How Cold Will Winter Be?
The forecast is chilling for southern British Columbia. Winter will be colder than average, with the coldest periods in early December and early and mid-January. Get ready to bundle up!
Will There Be Snow?
Precipitation in southern B.C. will be below average. Snowfall will also be lighter than expected, with the snowiest periods in late November, early December, early January, early to mid-February, and early March.
However, in the northern section of British Columbia, relief from super-cold temperatures and above-average precipitation will be possible.
What Are Long-Range Forecasts?
The Almanac’s long-range forecasts are exactly that—all about broader weather trends for the season, not daily weather predictions. In other words, will our winter season be colder—or warmer—than normal overall? Will our winter be drier or wetter than average? How much snow should we expect?
Our long-range forecasts are for the planners among us—the gardeners and farmers, the truckers and shippers, the vacationers, and all of us everyday weather watchers who stock up on fuel and ready our snow shovels—or umbrellas.
How Do We Predict the Weather?
Ever since our first edition in 1792, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has used a unique, proprietary method of predicting weather that we still use today, though nowadays we use modern technology! We employ three scientific disciplines:
1. Solar science, the study of sunspots (magnetic storms on the Sun’s surface);
2. Climatology, the study of prevailing weather patterns; and
3. Meteorology, the study of the atmosphere (what short-range weather forecasters do).
We predict weather trends and events by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activity. We’re looking at “normals” or “averages” over decades, not just how the weather compared to last year. For the 2024–2025 winter season, our forecasts are based on the latest period, 1991 through 2020.
Factors Shaping the 2024/25 Winter Forecasts
Last winter, we predicted a winter whiteout in Canada with precipitation from coast to coast. This winter, weather factors suggest a patchwork of mixed weather.
The Sun is Heating Up!
We’re watching the activity in Solar Cycle 25, which is at or near the solar maximum or peak of its 11-year cycle. The Sun has become more active with sunspots and solar activity.
High solar activity levels have historically been linked to warmer temperatures, on average, across Earth—although this relationship has become weaker in recent decades. This suggests the solar influence will be a warming one for winter; however, this is only one of the disciplines we consider in our predictions.
Ocean Patterns and the Weather
Other factors that affect long-range weather include “oscillations,” which are recurrent ocean-atmospheric weather patterns. Our weather team watches water and wind oscillations in the Pacific, in the Atlantic, and along the Equator. These indicate neutral to warmer temperatures and perhaps normal to below-normal precipitation, with the potential for occasional cold arctic blasts.
If you have heard of El Niño and La Niña, these are the climate patterns that occur in the tropical Pacific Ocean and are part of “ENSO” (the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle). El Niño is the warm phase, while La Niña tends to be cooler.
We’re expecting a neutral El Niño Southern Oscillation or possibly even a La Niña this winter, following a strong El Niño last year. At the same time, we’re anticipating a warm Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and a cool Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
We’re also watching equatorial stratospheric winds known as the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation. Combinations of these factors can also cause the polar vortex to drop added flashes of cold into North America.
Pick Up Your 2025 Almanac While Available
Be the first to get your copy! The 2025 Old Farmer’s Almanac Canadian Edition contains 12 months (52 weeks) of weather predictions—plus everything else that you expect from the Almanac—America’s best-selling annual and oldest almanac.
Find the 2025 Almanac on Amazon.ca or a digital edition in our Almanac General Store (no shipping).
