No, we can't ask if it's going to rain on May 22 - Victoria Day - this year, but a Weather Network meteorologist is willing to talk about the spring outlook in general terms for the months of March, April and May.
"I actually had someone ask if it would be a good idea to make outdoor plans on Valentine's day during our conversation in November about the winter outlook," laughed Michael Carter, Weather Network meteorologist.
So what's your answer to that kind of question?
"Well, you know what? In Canada it's almost never a good idea to plan an outdoor event on Valentine's Day," said Carter. "And you know that's the real answer - well, maybe in Vancouver - but not even there this year."
Record amounts of snow fell on the Lower Mainland that day this year.
As spring is a transitional season where it's moving from cold to warmer temperatures normal daytime highs are 5.2 Celsius in March, 11.2 in April and 16.7 in May for the region.
So the spring weather outlook takes those temperatures into consideration to determine what this year will look like.
"We have been well below normal temperatures this winter," said Carter.
"Interior B.C. was kind of ground zero for some of the colder weather we saw this year across Canada and that trend will continue through the early part of the period. The cold is going to linger, the snow is going to hang around. So it's going to be a sluggish start to spring and winter is not quite done with British Columbia just yet."
That means continued unsettled weather patterns, continued cold, storms and snow, he added.
"So that's the bad news - accept that it will extend the ski season into spring break, if people are interested in that kind of thing," said Carter.
"Meteorologists are great at finding silver linings - as we get later into this season - late April into May we are expecting milder than normal conditions to make a big comeback. So warm conditions for late spring and early summer."
For the complete outlook, visit www.theweathernetwork.com/spring.
