THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods Sun Dogs, formed by the sun reflecting off ice crystals in bitterly cold temperatures, sit over the Winnipeg skyline Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Winnipeg and the region has been experiencing below -35 degree celsius temperatures and windchills of -45 to -50 degree celsius.

As Ottawa limps across the finish line of its snowiest January on record, cherry blossoms are blooming at the legislature in coastal Victoria, B.C.

Millions of Canadians were hiding out this week under extreme cold warnings stretching across the map, even as some East Coast cities enjoyed moderate temperatures.

This is the kind of thing people have been predicting for years.Konrad Gajewski, University of Ottawa

According to experts, these co-existing extremes have been predicted for some time — and they're likely here to stay.

"This is the kind of thing people have been predicting for years," said Konrad Gajewski, a professor of geography and environment at the University of Ottawa.

"This kind of pattern of more alternation, more extremes, both in terms of warm and cold conditions is what we're expecting for the future."

Common belief says warming Arctic to blame

Central Canada's cold snap comes from the oscillating upper wind patterns of the jet stream, pushing the cold air down from the north with the polar vortex.

At the same time, the large "waves" in the wind patterns push some warm air north, explaining comparatively warm temperatures on the coasts.

The exact role climate change plays in the pattern's changes is an ongoing discussion in the scientific community, but a common belief says it's the result of a warming Arctic.

"It's thought that as the Arctic warms up because the ice is melting back, we're going to have more of a situation where you have what we call 'waviness' in the polar vortex," Gajewski said.