Brief: Winter shows signs of surrender

Tuesday, March 8, 2016, 9:02 AM - Temperatures are on the rise across eastern Canada, with the first 20 degree temperatures of the year possible. An unsettled pattern across the west continues to bring periods of rain and snow. Here's your Tuesday weather brief.

SPRING IS HERE: How will El Niño affect your spring? Find out on The Weather Network’s Spring Forecast.

Atlantic Canada

• Maritimes: High pressure allows for clear and calm conditions on Tuesday before the next system could bring a few centimetres of snow across the Maritimes on Wednesday.
• Newfoundland: Newfoundland will see heavier snow along the western shores on Wednesday where 5-10 cm is possible. The Avalon will escape the heaviest snow with just a couple of centimetres mixed with some rain expected. 

Ontario and Quebec

• Ontario: Temperatures began to climb across southern Ontario Monday with daytime highs near 20C possible over the next couple of days. Possibly the warmest temperatures of the year so far. "There's a risk to see significant freezing rain along highway 11 from Nipigon through Hearst and down towards the Nickel Belt Tuesday," warns Kevin MacKay, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. Meanwhile, some thunderstorms were reported in northwestern Ontario near Dryden Monday night.
• Quebec: The freezing rain risk extends into southern Quebec before temperatures rise to above seasonal values. "Tonight, the freezing rain looks to stay north of Montreal and Ottawa, but Quebec City could see some prolonged freezing rain into Wednesday morning," MacKay says.

Western Canada

• Prairies: A foggy start to the day for parts of Alberta with some wet flurries likely as energy rolls off the Rockies. "The system which brought a mix of snow, rain and freezing rain to many parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba has moved into northern Ontario allowing high pressure to move into the region for the remainder of the week," MacKay says. "Temperatures will also continue to rise into the weekend." 
• British Columbia: Light rain continues today for Vancouver and Victoria with a brief break late Tuesday night before more steady rain moves in for Wednesday afternoon. "Wednesday and Thursday could bring strong winds for west Vancouver Island and the North Shore as a low tracks up the coast," says MacKay. More fresh snow is also expected after Whistler broke the 1000 cm barrier over the weekend.