While it’s warm-ish and snowy right now in Grande Prairie, it looks like it will quickly cool off to lows of minus 27 this weekend. Senior climatologist for Environment Canada David Phillips calls it “yo-yo” weather, and says we’ll likely see it for the rest of the winter.
“Back and forth, up and down, where you go through some melting kind of temperatures, then into the deep freeze, and then back into the mild, and then back into the deep freeze. You ended 2016 with warmer air and that’s been the situation in January, but by the end of this week you’ll be crying uncle.”
Before this most recent dump of snow, Grande Prairie had seen about 65 centimetres. That’s considered pretty typical for the region, but overall we’ve had more days hit below minus 20 than usual. It’s typical to have seen 11 or so at this point, but there’s been 17 so far. There have also been four days where it reached minus 30.
Between all the snow and frigid temperatures, Grande Prairie will be looking for some relief. Phillips says that’s on the way, as the middle of the month will be what’s called the “dead of winter.” That’s the coldest days of the year, typically on January 13th and 14th.
“Then, when we get to the middle of the month we begin to come out of it. If you’re not a big fan of winter, I think it’s a time to celebrate; you can actually say in Grande Prairie on January the 15th, you’ve got more winter behind you than ahead of you.”
Two centimetres of snow are in the forecast for Thursday night and then another two Friday with more possible in the evening. There’s a good chance we’ll see more Saturday with a high of minus 19.