After record-breaking warmth, mild weekend for the Prairies
Digital Reporter
Saturday, December 5, 2015, 8:24 AM - After two days of record-breaking temperatures across all three Prairie provinces, forecasters say the unseasonably mild conditions will continue for the next few days.
"Mild temperatures persist through the weekend for the Prairies, and this pattern looks to continue through next week," Weather Network meteorologist Kelly Sonnenburg said early Saturday.
A ridge of high pressure across the southeastern United States has helped push a southerly flow up into the southern Prairies. Temperatures are about 10 degrees above the seasonal average for many cities.
For instance, Winnipeg's daytime high for Friday is 4oC, meanwhile the average this time of year is a cool -8oC.
Manitoba shattered 18 temperature records on Thursday, according to Environment Canada. The village of McCreary hit a balmy 10.6oC, breaking a record of 7.5oC set in 1989. Morden was the second runner up with 9.6oC, breaking 7.1oC set in 2004.
On Friday, 25 more heat records were broken, most of them in Manitoba, where records dating back to 1916 were broken. In the north of the province, The Pas experienced a Friday high of 4.4oC, tying its record for 1913.
Daytime maximums on Saturday won't be quite as high, but still warmer than the seasonal average.
The Weather Network meteorologists suggest El Niño could have an impact this winter, as the phenomenon has a reputation of bringing mild winters across southern Canada.
However, the skies won't quite be completely clear across the region this weekend. A low pressure system tracking through the northern Prairies will bring light snow to Saskatchewan, and more moderate snowfall to extreme northern Manitoba.
"Northern Manitoba could pick up 5-10 cm of snow through the day," Sonnenburg says. "The rest of the central and southern Prairies will see mainly sunny skies this weekend."
Source: The Weather Network
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