According to Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips Canucks will be reminded this year of the saying the Great White North.

Although it won't necessarily be "the winter from hell or face-numbing wind chills every time," Phillips said temperature-wise, "we could have conditions that would be perhaps three-quarters or a degree colder than normal."

Some cities should be having a wintry white Christmas after years of a snowless Yuletide season.

This is music to the ears of those who capitalize on winter sports. Their business should be booming this year.

"I always think it's good for the economy when weather is behaving like it should, when winters are cold and summers are hot," he said, adding more people will likely book holidays to escape the harsh weather.