Winter-weary Winnipeggers long for spring weather

Spring officially starts next week, but Winnipeggers attending this weekend's Home Expressions show can't be blamed for thinking winter isn't going away anytime soon.

Temperatures in Winnipeg were between8 C and 17 C on Friday, but with the wind it sometimes felt as cold as 30 C.

This weekend's forecast calls for daytime highs around 10 C andovernight lows below 20 C, according to CBC meteorologist John Sauder.

"This is the longest winter ever!" exclaimed Rose Ducharme, who came to the Home Expressions Home and Garden Show at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on Friday night.

The official start of spring is March 20, andSauder's forecast calls for temperatures between 10 C and 22 C that day.

By contrast, it felt unusually summer-like at this time last year. Environment Canada's climate archive notes a daytime high of 14.4 C on March 15, 2012.

But cold weather can mean hot business at the home and garden show, according to organizers.

"Attendance was down a little bit last year because everybody was out on the golf course," said show manager Jan Currier.

"So this year, we're glad that it's a little chilly outside because it's going to bring everybody in."

Normal temperatures for this time of year are 1 C during the day and 11 C at night, according to Environment Canada.

The 39th annual Home Expressions show continues through Sunday.