Hi, Ian.

In the Kingston, Ontario region our normal first snowfall (1cm) occurs
in the third or fourth week of October, though it can occur as early
as the first week of the October and as late as the first week of
November.

Our normal last snowfall (1cm)occurs in the third week of April,
though it has snowed as late as the third or fourth week of May. In
contrast, sometimes it does not snow again after the first week of
April.

The first "plowable" snowfall (5cm+) is usually occurs by the third
week of November, though it can happen as early as the second week of
October and as late as the first week of December.

The last "plowable" snowfall is usually in the last week of March or
the first week of April.

Between mid-March and mid-April the average daytime high increases
from +1 or +2C to +11C.

I guess that except for northern portions of the UK and higher
elevations further south, the occurrence of the first and last
snowfall is highly variable from places to place and from year to
year. I used to live near Philadelphia, USA where the first and last
snowfall (and total winter snowfall) could range widely from year to
year. This is less the case where daytime highs are often below
freezing for three months of the year up here in southern Ontario.

Cheers,

Bob

mittens wrote:


I guess that except for northern portions of the UK and higher
elevations further south, the occurrence of the first and last
snowfall is highly variable from places to place and from year to
year. I used to live near Philadelphia, USA where the first and last
snowfall (and total winter snowfall) could range widely from year to
year. This is less the case where daytime highs are often below
freezing for three months of the year up here in southern Ontario.

Cheers,

Bob

Canada doesn't seem to have an "autumn" (fall) as such. I was in
Oakville, ON in October last year and the temperatures were 26C with the
niagara honeymooners still in shirt sleeves....

Two weeks later New York was under a couple of feet of snow, the CCCG
icebreakers were on the Welland Canal and Niagara had frozen up.

Britain doesn't generally get severe winters due to all this global
warming but more likely it's the Gulf Stream influence. Unless we get
easterly winds from a scandinavian high.

Les

On Jan 31, 2:13*pm, Les Crossan
venthisk wrote:
mittens wrote:

I guess that except for northern portions of the UK and higher
elevations further south, the occurrence of the first and last
snowfall is highly variable from places to place and from year to
year. I used to live near Philadelphia, USA where the first and last
snowfall (and total winter snowfall) could range widely from year to
year. This is less the case where daytime highs are often below
freezing for three months of the year up here in southern Ontario.

Cheers,

Bob

Canada doesn't seem to have an "autumn" (fall) as such. I was in
Oakville, ON in October last year and the temperatures were 26C with the
niagara honeymooners still in shirt sleeves....

Two weeks later New York was under a couple of feet of snow, the CCCG
icebreakers were on the Welland Canal and Niagara had frozen up.

Britain doesn't generally get severe winters due to all this global
warming but more likely it's the Gulf Stream influence. Unless we get
easterly winds from a scandinavian high.

Les

Les, our fall (autumn) was remarkable in 2007. It was one of the
warmest on record, so was atypical. Even in mid-September 2007 the
temperature reached 30C.

Nevertheless, you are right that the weather changes quickly in
October. One October in Ottawa, in a span of about 15 hours, the
weather went from sunny and 23C to 0C with 15 cms of wet snow. Many of
the trees still had leaves on them, so many branches and hydro
(electricity) lines came down.

The weather fluctuations are problematic for gardeners, like me.

Cheers,

Bob

Bob