As the calendar reaches the end of January, we asked Environment and Climate Change Canada if the month of January saw below average temperatures due to the extreme cold earlier in the month. Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang talks about that and another ongoing story for the winter season.
"We had our climate person run the stats last week and things were still actually running slightly above average. But the problem too is the lack of moisture, which is an ongoing story."
Look at those stats as of January 29, the average daily high for the month of January was -12.9 degrees C, and the average nighttime low was minus 21.9 degrees C. This was mainly due to the extreme cold experienced from January 11-16. Back to the lack of moisture, only 11 centimetres of snow fell in January, after there being no substantial snow up to that point in the winter of 2023-24.
Looking ahead to the month of February, Lang figures it will be once again warmer than average, as the El Nino pattern has returned to the western prairies.
"With how much warmth we have had, it is certainly going with the El Nino pattern, and the forecast for the month of February is for above average temperatures to continue."
Wed, Jul 17, 7:30 PM
