January can be harsh when it comes to weather in Alberta, and a fresh forecast for the month is hinting that it will be a bit of a roller coaster ride.
Daily Hive spoke with Brian Proctor, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), regarding what Albertans should expect to see as we enter January.
After enjoying some warmer weather thanks to a westerly flow from British Columbia over the bulk of the holidays, Proctor said that the flow is now settling southward, allowing for cold air to slide in from the north.
“For much of the next week or so, the northern tip of the province will be the coldest, a cool down is in store for all of us,” Proctor said.
A silver lining in the chillier temperatures on the way is that Alberta is forecast to be in the clear regarding the worst of the cold moving south, with our pals in Saskatchewan and Manitoba bearing the brunt of the coldest temperatures.
Looking at the seven-day forecast for Edmonton and Calgary, colder temperatures will make their presence known heading into New Year’s Day and the first weekend of January.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Environment and Climate Change Canada
If you love snow and spending January on the ski hill, we’ve got some bad news: the flurry of activity for much of the province in the early stages of the month will not generate much snow, especially for Calgary and Edmonton.
Looking at the middle and latter half of January, Proctor pointed out that a weak La Niña is still in the cards for Alberta, and more typical conditions are in the forecast for the rest of the month.
“It probably won’t be a bitter January; we just need to get through the first week or so,” Proctor added.
“Be prepared for any changes in the forecast, but a general cooldown for this week or so, and then warming us back up after to a much more seasonal normals.”