Much of Alberta may have already seen some decent snowfall before we even hit December, and the winter forecast is hinting that much more is in our future.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released its winter forecast for the country Wednesday morning, and Daily Hive spoke with Alysa Pederson, an ECCC warning preparedness meteorologist, for more details on what Alberta should expect.
Much of the forecast depends on when La Niña is expected to develop and impact the province, with Pederson saying it has yet to develop.
It is still expected to make an appearance this winter, likely developing by mid-December to early January; however, the impact is usually delayed by a month, meaning the end of winter could feel the effects of the weather phenomenon.
Alberta is also considering the likelihood of above-normal temperatures from December to February; however, Western Canada has a 40% to 50% chance due to La Niña.
“It’s going to be very different than last year— we were very strongly in an El Niño, we didn’t have the first cold snap until mid-January, and now we are just coming out of our first real cold snap last month,” Pederson said.
“Cold snaps are a little harder to gauge; generally, we will see above normal temperatures, but that doesn’t mean we won’t get at least two to three big cold snaps during the winter. I would expect it to still be cold.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada
When it comes to precipitation this winter in Alberta, there’s a slightly higher signal for above-normal precipitation right across the province, 50-60% above normal, which is typical for a La Niña year.
With models hinting at that elevated risk of precipitation, Pederson says to keep those snow shovels handy, and you’ll probably be out shovelling snow more than you would in a typical winter.
She also added that when it comes to timeframes, don’t focus on specific months, let alone weeks.
“It could be December is warmer and drier, January and February are wetter and colder, but on a whole, winter will be wetter than we normally see.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada
“For skiers, it’s better than last year cause last year was garbage,” Pederson added.
While we await more wintry weather to arrive in the province, check out our roundup of the ultimate winter and Christmas things to do in Alberta this season. Enjoy!