White Christmas likely for most of Canada

WINDSOR, Ontario, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Environment Canada forecasters say nearly all of Canada is likely to have a white Christmas for the first time since 1971.

Senior climatologist David Phillips told the Windsor Star Friday a "particularly nasty storm" that originated in Colorado was hitting southern Ontario. A second storm was forecast to drop at least four more inches of snow on the area Sunday.

Earlier this week, British Columbia was walloped with a snowstorm. Vancouver has had more than nine inches of snow so, far, more than the eight inches usually seen in the entire month of January, The Province newspaper reported.

The extreme cold snap that hit Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba was forecast to continue through the weekend, with temperatures around 10 degrees.

Montreal was forecast to get more than six inches of snow Sunday, and snow squall warnings were in effect for areas around the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Phillips told the Windsor Star the only place where winter hasn't dumped much snow is Newfoundland and Labrador.

"They've had it wet, but not much snow," Phillips said.