The weather over the past month in the West Central region has certainly shown us its fair share of good and bad. Temperatures ranging from above zero all the way to extreme cold reaching into the minus forties, snow, and even freezing rain have been experienced from time to time over the course of 2022.  

The reason behind the constant fluctuation of temperatures is thanks in part to an upper ridge.  

Meteorologist for Environment Canada, Terri Lang describes where this “upside down U” lies and what factor it has on the climate. 

“We call it an upper ridge and that's the way the jet stream follows. It goes up along the BC coast and comes down up through the Yukon and the backside of that U comes down through Northern Alberta, through Central Saskatchewan and kind of into Southern Manitoba. The jet stream is the dividing line between the cold air to the north and the warm air to the south.” 

Lang also helped better understand why the temperatures have been fluctuating between extreme cold and above zero degrees.  

“Any time that jet stream kind of wobbles a bit, if it wobbles a little bit South then we get into the cold air and if it wobbles a little bit North then we get into the warm air.” 

The jet stream is also a factor for the constant snowfall which has been occurring for much of the winter in parts of the province, added Lang. 

“The other thing is what it's doing is, it's bringing snow through that path because, all the low-pressure systems that bring all the snow and they all follow along the jet stream. So, they keep going over the same area again and again.” 

The good news for West Central Saskatchewan is for the better part of this week it will be receiving the warmer air with above seasonal temperatures.