Toronto will kick off the winter with unseasonably mild temperatures, but meteorologists warn of a turbulent season ahead with a wild ride of weather fluctuations into 2024.

The Weather Network (TWN) has dropped its annual winter forecast for the country, noting that a particularly strong El Niño event will bring milder temperatures to Canada — though some parts of the country will snap back to reality when the mercury plunges for the latter half of this snowy season.

While mild temperatures are expected to persist for western and central provinces, TWN says that "the upcoming winter season will deliver some curveballs that will set this winter apart from typical strong El Niño winters."

Winter warriors, assemble! ❄ Our 2024 #WinterForecast reveals all the secrets of the season ahead! https://t.co/ccZlEnoBeu

— The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) November 29, 2023

Forecasts show a massive patch of above-normal temperatures blanketing the nation, with Toronto falling just outside of this zone.

A stretch from the eastern Prairies to Atlantic Canada — including Ontario — is expected to experience brutal conditions in January, and could get even worse in February.

The agency says that southern Ontario, in particular, is one region to watch this year, warning of "a sharp gradient between below-normal and above-normal precipitation."

If an ever-shifting annual storm track falls just a touch further north than the average, Toronto and the surrounding region could be for a real world of hurt in terms of snowfall.

A primary storm track is currently forecast to fall a good distance south of the U.S. border, but still well within striking range to bring near-normal snow totals to the southernmost reaches of Ontario.

TWN is predicting that after a mild start to winter, Ontario will likely see near-normal snowfall levels, or potentially even worse. Graph from TWN's winter forecast.

"We're not cancelling winter for you folks in Ontario yet," says Jaclyn Whittal, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. "However, most of you will see above-average temperatures, but notice Toronto... we're going near normal."

"It's not going to be one of those winters where we don't have any snow or any storms," says Whittal, adding that the Highway 401 corridor between Windsor and Montreal could still see "major storms" if a storm track trends further north than anticipated.

The big question on everyone's mind is probably, "Will Toronto get snow for the holidays?"

The season is expected to start off mild in Toronto and other GTHA cities, with less snow than the norm in the weeks leading up to the holidays. That pattern should shift around the holidays, leaving the door open for a picturesque white Christmas — before it turns to salty beige slush.

There is some uncertainty as to whether temperatures will climb back to the mild feel typical of strong El Niño events as the calendar moves into January, though The Weather Network currently anticipates colder temperatures to persist into the new year.