Parts of the Yukon bask in unseasonably mild temperatures

Thursday, January 23, 2014, 7:43 AM -

The wild temperature roller coaster continues across much of the country this winter.

As Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec bundle up against bitter cold and wind chills of -30 or colder, parts of western Canada are enjoying spring like weather.

"Southern Alberta in particular has seen a nice stretch of mild and above seasonal temperatures over the last couple of weeks, and that trend is expected to continue for much of this week as well," says Weather Network meteorologist Gina Ressler.

Even the Yukon has been seeing much warmer weather than it usually does.

Parts of southern and central Yukon are experiencing a January thaw as southerly winds usher in mild conditions.

@chris_m_twn @arda_ocal @weathernetwork It's so cold outside, my Yukon friend called. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so, so sorry."

— Daniel Martins (@DFLCMartins) January 21, 2014

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for very windy and unseasonably mild temperatures on Thursday.

"Early this morning, a very strong southwest flow off the Pacific will develop and begin to stream unseasonable mild air across the Saint Elias Mountains," said EC in the statement. 

A gradual increase in wind intensity is expected through Thursday afternoon, with speeds exceeding 70 km/h and gusts to 90 km/h. 

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS: Enjoying the mild temps? Send us your photos and videos to show us how!

"Furthermore, the intense southerly flow will funnel warm air from the Pacific Ocean into southwestern Yukon," adds EC.

"Temperatures will increase through the day Thursday with some places seeing daytime highs about 10-20 degrees above normal," says Ressler.

WARMER THAN FLORIDA?

To put these mild temperatures into perspective, Whitehorse was milder than Orlando, Florida Thursday morning.

"At one point, Whitehorse recorded a temperature of 5°C, while Orlando was sitting at 3°C," says The Weather Network's Chris Murphy.

I suspect this may get a retweet or two. Its warmer in #Whitehorse this morning than #Orlando, FLORIDA

— Chris Murphy TWN (@chris_m_twn) January 23, 2014

The colder weather that's gripping many northern states is dipping down into Florida. 

A "hard freeze" warning was issued in central Florida on Wednesday leaving many citrus farmers concerned about their crops.

The average temperature for Whitehorse at this time of year is around -13°C.

The winds and temperatures will begin to moderate on Friday as the flow off the Pacific weakens.