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Snow predicted to melt slowly continued from p.1 than above-seasonal," said Lappo, who is part of The Weather Network team of meteorologists and weather specialists headquartered at 2655 Bristol Circle with parent company Pelmorex Media Inc., That means the snow may be with us for a while yet, she said. "With so much snow on the ground already, and with cooler temperatures to start the spring off, we just might see snow on the ground for a bit longer than what we have seen in the past few years," said Lappo. This winter has been especially hard on Greater Toronto Area (GTA) residents, the coldest since the 1993-94 winter, she continued. "The winter has definitely been much colder than what we have seen in the past 20 years, but also we've been seeing much milder winters in the last few years and that also adds to why people feel so much colder," said Lappo. Halton communities have faced 10 cold alerts affecting a total of 36 days so far this year compared to three cold alerts spanning six days in 2013. The alerts are issued by Halton Region when temperatures are expected to fall below -15 C (without a wind chill) or when weather conditions are severe enough to warrant alerting the community to the risks involved with prolonged exposure. But things could be worse. Lappo said Southern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, two areas typically colder than the GTA, faced a particularly harsh winter, with frigid temperatures that were 5C colder than normal. In the GTA, she said, people have been dealing with temperatures 2-3C below seasonal. However, Lappo assures relief is on its way, despite the possibility of seeing colder air outbreaks over the next month. The sun is becoming stronger, the days are becoming longer and the average temperatures are on the rise, she said. "We'll definitely see some warmer spells as well," she noted. 9 | Thursday, March 6, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com VanSpall's nofrills.ca Elena Lappo is a meteorologist with Oakville-based The Weather Network, where the team is predicting a slow start to spring. | photo courtesy The Weather Network SAVE $215/ea 8 8 2/ With so much snow on the ground already, and with cooler temperatures to start the spring off, we just might see snow on the ground for a bit longer than what we have seen in the past few years. The winter has definitely been much colder than what we have seen in the past 20 years. meteorologist, The Weather Network Elena Lappo "The overall feel is just going to be milder. Even though days are below seasonal." With an average daytime high of 5C in March, Lappo added even if temperatures are around 0C, it will already feel better than the -15C people have been experiencing over the last few months. 88 SALE 2 88 $6.3 Ocean Spray Cranberry Cocktail 1.89 L or $1.44 ea 2 LOW! that's 's SAVE 2 280 - 300 g or $1.44 ea $ 03/ea McTavish Travel NEWFOUNDLAND OFF THE BEATEN TRACK Newfoundland's charms, scenic seascapes and warm hospitality are all being showcased in a new tour offered for the first time this year. Monograms, a Globus division which specializes in pre-planned world-wide itineraries for the independent traveller, has added a fun Newfoundland driving holiday to its line-up of Canadian tours. The 9-day Newfoundland, Off the Beaten Track tour combines the freedom of driving at your own pace with the convenience of a tested itinerary. This includes pre-booked hotels, and the services of a genial Local Host in St. John's who is there to help with sightseeing, dining and shopping suggestions. The itinerary is a lovely combination of 4-nights in busy and colourful St. John's, by far the largest city in the province, along with the rural charms of the welcoming village of Trinity ­ a popular artist's haunt ­ and the grandeur of Terra Nova Provincial Park. Including accommodation, Local Host services and a detailed destination guide, the tour is priced at $908 per person double for May departures and CAD936 for June. July, August and September departures, HST and National Park fees are additional. Travellers can bring their own car, or Monograms have excellent rates with Hertz, but book early a car rentals are always difficult to secure in Newfoundland in the summer months. Monograms has an Early Booking Offer: book any North American Monograms vacation of 6-nights or longer by 11MAR14 and receive a free extra night; and book this Newfoundland tour by 25MAR14 and receive a CAD75 discount. Call us for reservations. Browse Monograms independent traveller destinations throughout the world at: www.monogramstravel.com South Tour (7-nights), Vendemmia in Calabria Tour (7-nights), Artistic Italy Tour (7-nights), Dolce Vita in Tuscany (8-nights), Italy's Jewels ­ Calabria & Sicily Tour (8-nights), Best of Italy Tour (9-nights) and Grand Tour of Italy (14-nights). The tours include air from Toronto and can be viewed with complete itineraries at www.albatours.com. Call us to reserve your Italian sojourn. Christie Cookies 8 8 2/ ! 2 LOW that's NCL ULTIMATE FREESOME Get the ultimate deal on Norwegian's Cruise Line's newest ships, Norwegian Gateway and Norwegian Breakaway. Book a Balcony stateroom or higher and receive a free Ultimate Dining Package. Book a Suite or higher and receive the Ultimate Dining Package and a free Ultimate Beverage Package. Plus, receive free balcony upgrades with any room on either ship. Reservations must be confirmed by 10MAR14 to qualify for NCL's "Ultimate Freesome". 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