The current reprieve from bitter January temperatures serves as a welcome reminder that spring 2024 is not too far away.

But what kind of weather should Ontario residents expect for the annual thaw?

Keep those snow shovels and umbrellas on standby, because Ontario can expect a somewhat chaotic spring in 2024 marked by what The Farmers' Almanac calls "seesaw temperatures" and stormy conditions, part of what is being ominously described as a "Polar Coaster Spring" in Canada.

🌹 🌷 It's here!!! Our Extended Spring Weather Forecast has arrived!! Check out the details of our Polar Coaster Spring here: https://t.co/UWckrHdyir pic.twitter.com/irbFKt2jQM

— The Farmers' Almanac (@FarmersAlmanac) January 18, 2024

The annual outlook from the over 200-year-old periodical warns that "warm weather will take its time arriving in Canada in spring 2024," and a stormy start to the season will pummel much of the country — including Ontario — with heavy rain and snow.

As for the busiest travel period of the season — the Easter weekend from Thursday, March 28 through Sunday, March 31 — things could get particularly messy in the province.

The Farmers' Almanac warns that, during the transition from March to April, "Ontario may witness a delayed snowstorm coinciding with the Easter holiday."

From April into May, the majority of eastern Canada is expected to experience showery conditions and continued cool weather, however, the spring forecast calls for Ontario to see conditions "alternate from fair and dry to stormy."