(Cam Lee/northeastNOW)

By Cam Lee

Cooler weather

Warm weather staying until 2024, but normal temps approaching

Dec 29, 2023 | 5:01 PM

The above-normal temperatures will continue, but not for long.

Some cooler weather is on the way for our region, but as Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang explained, it may seem colder than it actually is.

“People are going to think ‘holy smokes, this is really cold’ but it’s actually just kind of more…average type of values for this time of year,” she said. “After all of that beautiful weather we’ve had through the month of December, it’s going to feel quite cold.”

The average daytime high for this time of year is around -13C, while the average overnight low is minus 24. Lang said we should be in that range next week.

A few weather systems are trying to move in with the colder temperatures, but Lang explained that systems coming from the northwest typically don’t involve a lot of snowfall. While there may be some snow associated with the system, it likely won’t amount to major amounts.

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The mild, dry conditions most of the province has experienced are due to the weather phenomenon El Nino. Lang said El Nino tends to give Western Canada warmer and drier than average weather.

“That’s because the jet stream has shifted to our north, and the jet stream is that delineator between the really cold air to the north and the warm air to the south,” Lang noted. “So when it’s shifted north we tend to be on the warm side of the jet.”

The low-pressure systems that bring precipitation tend to travel along the jet stream, which is why the Arctic has seen so many strong weather systems recently.

Lang added El Nino tends to have the biggest impact in December, January, and February. The weather system is forecast to start weakening in the spring, and conditions will become more neutral.

Mild, dry conditions are expected throughout the winter, but Lang said that doesn’t mean we won’t get cold weather or snow. She explained that on average, when you add everything up, conditions are warmer and drier.

While there shouldn’t be any concerning weather for travellers this long weekend, there could be some pavement frost that forms overnight.