Rising temperatures transform February into early spring across Ontario

As the temperatures rise and snow melts, February has become a month that feels more like mid-March.

At Bayview Wildwood Resort in Severn, skating rinks are being monitored as staff prepare for the Taylor Cup hockey tournament, with over a hundred people expected to hit the ice.

"We are going to continue to monitor the weather consistently, and obviously, there is not a lot that we can do about it. However, we are going to do whatever we can with our team to make sure that our rinks are okay for the weekend," said Jason Staton, general manager at the resort.

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According to Environment Canada, temperatures throughout southern and central Ontario will track well above seasonal moving into Thursday and Friday, with temperatures predicted to reach double digits as we head into the last week of February.

The OPP is closely monitoring the changing conditions, reporting open water throughout Georgian Bay.

A video captured by OPP and posted to social media gives people a glimpse into the open water around the Midland Harbour, where police say any current ice is dangerous and unpredictable.

"No one wants to hear of anyone falling through the ice or passing away because of an ice incident. These are unprecedented times, and it is extremely treacherous out there," said OPP Const. Dave Hobson.

In Oro-Medonte, Shaw's Maple Syrup has been business as usual this week as the company adjusts to a sped-up tapping schedule.

"Every year keeps getting earlier and earlier, and this is by far our earliest season. Twenty years ago, we were not trying to tap by the first or second week of March, where as now, we have missed a lot of sap if we are not tapping into February," said owner Tom Shaw.