April-like warmth returns to parts of Western Canada this week
Temperatures may run as much as 20°C above seasonal for parts of the region in the days ahead
A familiar pattern will return to Western Canada this week as a building ridge of high pressure sends temperatures soaring well above seasonal for early February.
Some communities could see as much as 20°C above seasonal in the days ahead.
DON’T MISS: Canada saw an impressive 70-degree temperature range in January
Ridge brings the (relative) heat back to the West
Forecasters expect another strong ridge of high pressure to establish itself over Western Canada heading into the first week of February. Air sinks beneath a ridge, warming up as it descends toward the ground.
All signs point toward this ridge remaining locked in place throughout the week, with exceptional temperature anomalies possible over the next seven days.
Conditions could easily register 10°C above seasonal across a large swath of Alberta and northern British Columbia. Individual days may run as high as 20°C above normal in Alberta.
This is a setup that could achieve a maximum daytime high temperature close to 20°C in southern Alberta by the middle of the week. Forecast highs in the mid- to upper-teens are more typical of what you’d expect in April than the beginning of February.
Folks across Saskatchewan won’t escape the warmth, with temperatures across southwestern sections of the province averaging close to 10 degrees above seasonal, as well.
Communities across B.C.’s Interior valleys will likely face cloudy skies under inversion conditions. Wednesday and Thursday are looking like the warmest days for the South Coast, with temperatures soaring into the mid-teens.
This is likely going to be one of the warmest starts to February for Vancouver, Cranbrook, and Medicine Hat.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across Western Canada.