Two More Weeks Of Winter - At Least

If you think it is a little bit cooler than it normally should be then you would be correct and if you are hoping for normal average temperatures it is going to be a couple of more weeks.

“Things are not looking good for temperatures being anywhere near normal for the next two weeks,” Amanda Prysizney, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (formerly Environment Canada).

But there is a plus side and that is wind chill is not predicted not be much of a factor as “it doesn’t look too bad due to winds.”

The other good news is what we are experiencing right now weather-wise is actually normal for Moose Jaw and the Prairies calling it a “typical cold snap” and “common for us.”

An Arctic surface ridge of high pressure has pushed cold air from the north causing the temperature drop.

The Moose Jaw area - Saskatchewan and Alberta - is colder than eastern portion of the Prairies as there is an elongated trough of low pressure in the upper atmosphere drawing cooler Arctic air to the region.

It is not a Polar Vortex. A Polar Vortex is where a low pressure pattern sets up in the upper atmosphere drawing in cold northern winds.

One of the things the weather pattern has set up is clear skies in many regions which help warm things up in the daytime but without the insulating benefits of cloud cover allow temperatures to fall over night.

But there are predictions calling for a brief warming trend on Sunday and into the early part of next week before dropping below normal once more bit likely not in record breaking temperatures as experienced unofficially in Saskatoon and Key Lake, Saskatchewan.

“It will still be below normal but will feel a bit warmer than the province is now,” Prysizney told MJ Independent from Winnipeg.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is predicting daytime highs of -16C and nightly lows of -26C after the brief warm up - normal day highs at this time of the year are -6C and -16C at night.

Asked about the previous long term prediction the agency made of a mild winter she said it was based on El Nino and how it lead to a mild start of Winter but the effect has dissipated allowing for the colder than normal period we are experiencing.

Emergency Car Kit - Image Compliments CAA

She said the agency would like to advise people to plug in their cars and most importantly to “have an emergency kit in the car” as the temperatures could prove to be hazardous and deadly if some type of problem were to arise.

An emergency car kit should contain such things as blankets, candles in a deep container, food which will not freeze and a snow shovel. A list of recommended things to carry in your vehicle in case of an emergency can be found at the following link Emergency Car Kit

Another good starting link of things you should have in your vehicle is also located on the Canadian Automobile Association web-site - CAA Emergency Car Kit