The cool, wet spring we're experiencing was born out of one of the coldest winters on record - but but don't despair, there's good news for April and May.
Environment Canada Climatologist, David Phililps says it was winter of misery right across Canada including here British Columbia. He says there was no El Nino that gave BC it's third warmest winter and warmest spring in 70 years in 2016, and that's why the province is a bit behind in warming up this spring.
Phillips says there was grumbling about this past winter all over BC because, well, we've been pampered.
"I looked at Kelowna and from December right through March, it was one of the coldest in 45 years. Every month was below normal," says Phillips." And of course, it began with one of the warmest Novembers on record, so I think you were seduced into thinking that this is not going to be a winter at all because November was clearly almost summer-liike rather than even fall."
Phillips says the Okanagan is going to end March on a cool note, but it's looking better into April.
"I look at the next seven days - even the next two weeks, and it's just warming up so slow - it's not going to rush into spring; we're not going from slush to sweat. It seems to be taking it's sweet time," he says.
Phillips says the good news for the Okanagan is the climate models point to a normal, or a warmer-than-normal April and May - and he's calling for a warmer-than-normal summer.
"My sense is you'll see those warm days that you're so famous for in the Interior," says Phillips. "And the other thing that makes you a little bit more confident in the forecast is the American models are saying the same thing, so we're singing from the same song sheet here and we think the summer will be that glorious summer it always is in the Okanagan."