It is a given that into everyone's life, a little rain must fall. This winter, however, there has been rain, freezing rain, howling winds, blizzards and unseasonable warm spells.

It can drive one to conclude that Mother Nature has bi-polar disorder.

So far, according to Environment Canada, more snow has already been dumped on Orangeville than all of last winter. Yet, earlier this month, we experienced a record thaw that melted most of the snow away and filled our heads with thoughts of getting golf clubs regripped.

Then along come a subzero stretch where a high of minus-one was considered positively toasty.

Yet, as far as David Phillips is concerned, this winter hasn't been as wacky as we might think. The Toronto-based senior climatologist for Environment Canada admits January's warm spell was abnormal, but not a real record breaker.

"Other than some daily record (highs), this has not been the warmest January on record," says Mr. Phillips. "Nor has it been the snowiest or the coldest."

Normally, Arctic air reigns supreme during the winter, he points out. "It's the real bully. It's heavy, dense and thick and fills every nook and cranny. It's very difficult for the warm air to kick it out."

Then, in January, this mean mother of an airstream from the Pacific lashed California with both rain and snow. It then turned north and pounced on the smug Arctic air mass.

This airflow was so strong," says Mr. Phillips, "it literally kicked the cold air back up north and the whole country, from Vancouver to St. John's, had this January thaw."

When the Pacific interloper up and left, however, the Arctic air bounced back with a vengeance and blanketed the entire nation in unseasonable cold temperatures.

Mr. Phillips suggests our area will likely not see any weather that borders on the freakish, but does predict that February, March and April should have near normal temperatures and be wetter than normal.

Bad news for the city planners who have to organize the snow removal budget, but good news for farmers who are rebounding from the record drought in the summer of 2007.

The senior climatologist is hesitant to make predictions about the summer, since it's so far ahead. Nevertheless, if his back is to the wall, Mr. Phillips will say June should be cooler than normal, as will July and August. Precipitation should be normal."

"But," Mr. Phillips cautions, "we've been wrong before."