April showers bring May flowers, but what do April snowstorms bring? Well, a lot of consternation, according to eastern Canadians this week. It seems winter has made one last comeback in parts of Canada, with snow and rain pelting several Canadian regions just when people thought it was safe to put away their winter boots. But while those who were ready to embrace spring may be upset, April storms can also bring photographic opportunities. Blooms are encased in ice, delicate flakes of snow fall on emerging leaves, and the spring growth is temporarily held in stasis by frost.
According to Environment Canada’s chief climatologist, spring really is on its way, but it has come after an unusually snowy April. Dave Phillips told Newstalk 1010, “We’ve had more snow this April than any month of the winter. We ended up with more than 20 centimetres of snow. That’s more [than] we’ve had in April in 37 years, about four or five times the amount you normally get.”
Nevertheless, the opportunity to photograph the unusual weather will be brief. As Phillips put it: “Stick a fork in winter, it’s over.” By the weekend, temperatures should be solidly above zero. In the meantime, let’s appreciate what we have. To get you through the week, here are some of our all-time favourite photos of spring snowstorms.
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