No thaw in sight. March expected to be colder than average

CTV Ottawa: Spring on hold According to the calendar spring is just two and a half weeks away. Forecasters say, don't hold your breath. CTV's Eric Longley reports.

What do winter and a bad party guest have in common?

They both don’t know when to leave.

Forecasters are saying it looks like much of central and eastern Canada will experience below-average temperatures in March, this following a below-average January and a record-breaking cold February.

That’s bad news for at least one spring tradition – the annual maple sap run.

“We just have to be very patient,” says Scott Deugo of Fulton’s Sugar Bush in Pakenham, Ontario. He says daytime temperatures of around plus 5C are ideal for maple sap production. According to long range forecasts, it could be closer to April before that happens in the Ottawa Valley.

At Fulton’s the earliest the sap has started flowing is March 1^st. The latest is March 31^st.

The good news is that a cold, snowy winter can actually enhance sap production once it does start to flow. “I'm quite encouraged because all the initial signs are excellent. But they're not always the initial signs that everyone enjoys,” says Deugo.

There are other consequences to a winter that won’t leave. Many clothing retailers are already displaying their spring lines at a time when many shoppers are still looking for winter coats.

“We deal with global suppliers everywhere in Spain, Italy and when they’re ready to ship, they need ship. So as we’re getting a snow storm and we’re getting our sandals in it can be a little tough,” says Andre Schad of Schad Clothing.

He says the problem is most pronounced with men, who tend to buy what they need when they need it. The upside, he says is that the cold weather has sent more people south for vacation this year. And at least they need sandals.

Perhaps the surest sign of spring is still the furthest away. Across Ottawa outdoor patios are still shrouded in snow and ice. It could be a long time before they open. “It hurts. We have a short patio season to begin with, the longer winter cuts into that it really cuts in our business. It slows everything down,” says Pat Delahunty at the Lowertown Brew Pub.

The silver lining to all this might be that, when spring does finally arrive, shoppers and customers will be so pent up with winter cabin fever they will all the more ready to spend. “When the patios do open,” says Delahunty, “they will explode.”

Here’s hoping… and waiting.