Don't let today's frigid temperatures put a damper on your mood, Toronto, because spring is near. 

The city's first taste of spring-like weather may have come and gone, with the warmth of the weekend followed by far chillier temperatures early this week, but The Weather Network's newly-released spring 2021 forecast contains enough good news to help us get through the last of these frigid days.

The forecast calls for a much warmer spring than many of those in recent memory, meaning it won't be too long before we can all enjoy the beauty of the outdoors — instead of consistently remaining within the confines of our homes — once again.

Spring is in the air, Canada—but is it here to stay? 🌷☔

Find out what the highly anticipated season has in store for your region with our official 2021 #SpringForecast! 👇

— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) March 1, 2021

"A much milder March will be a pleasant contrast to the frigid February experienced by most Canadians," says meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham in the forecast. 

And while this is true for the majority of the country, Ontario in particular is expected to see tastes of early spring in March as well as an overall warmer season compared to recent years.

"We are still at risk for parting shots of winter, and a period of colder weather is expected during mid-spring before more consistent warmth sets in," says Gillham, "but we do not expect the colder weather will take over the season as it has during the past few years."

He says he expects that the back and forth temperature swings will come close to offsetting each other across Ontario, except for far northwestern areas near Hudson Bay, adding that a warmer-than-normal spring is expected for much of the eastern U.S. and could end up expanding into southern parts of Ontario.

The risk for widespread flooding is also lower than normal in Ontario this year, according to Gillham, though some localized spring flooding could still occur.

"Above normal precipitation is expected for much of Ontario," he says, "but we do not expect more than the typical number of rainy days."

Here's hoping the expression is wrong this year and we don't have to wait until May for spring showers to turn to flowers.