It might sound ironic, but there's evidence to suggest global warming could make Montreal winters even longer.
A study published in the American journal Nature Climate Change [read the full report here] suggests that because of a loss of sea ice in the Arctic over the last three decades, the polar vortex which is blamed for many of our brutal cold snaps is shifting — and that could mean colder temperatures during the month of March.
A polar vortex is a mass of frigid air which surrounds the Arctic. When it dips southward, that's when we here in Montreal start seeing temperatures in the -20s, with wind chill values in the -30s and beyond.
The study suggests the disappearing ice sheet in the Arctic is leading to a shift in both the strength and direction of the polar vortex — which will mean much of eastern North America would become more susceptible to brutal cold snaps right around the time that Montrealers are thinking about spring, St. Patrick's Day parades and the return of patio season.