From the northwest to the southern areas along the border, most of Saskatchewan will have balmier than usual temperatures for at least the first week of February, although the outdoor climes might get slightly colder as the month progresses. Plus, there鈥檚 a possibility of more snow in Assiniboia鈥檚 future. Yet, daytime highs should persist to -6 C with a few overnight windchills from -12 to -14 C forecasted until February 15.
Saturday morning in Assiniboia on February 2 began with a -6 to -8 C average with winds from the southeast shifting to the southwest in the afternoon. The day鈥檚 high averaged +6 C with sunny periods. Both Highway 2 and Highway 13 leaving Assiniboia were clear of ice and snow. General visibility was good for motorists, with sharp views stretching to 24 kilometres for most of the day until the evening. 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
Coronach was Saskatchewan鈥檚 hotspot on February 2, with daytime highs averaging 4.5 C.
Winter still reigns in the province鈥檚 true north, where communities along Lake Athabasca like Uranium City (1,117 kilometres north of Assiniboia) had a regular winter鈥檚 day with temperatures fluctuating from -18 to -11 C. Canada鈥檚 cold spots on Saturday were Yellowknife and Thompson, where the temperatures in the NWT and northern Manitoba were in the -35-36 C range. 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
However, parts of northern Saskatchewan were also experiencing warmer than usual days this winter. Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, explained why communities in the northwest such as Meadow Lake were escaping the colder temperatures further north and having these warmer spells during an interview with meadowlakeNOW on January 31.
Lang said Saturday鈥檚 weather phenomenon originated from the heavy rains on British Columbia鈥檚 West Coast. The rains were so substantial, they鈥檇 even produced some mini-disaster zones in B.C. The Times Colonist reported the accumulation of rain throughout January had caused flooding on Vancouver Island.
These rains transformed into an Albertan Chinook wind as the moisture dissipated east over the Rocky Mountains. The Chinook was strong enough to partially extend through Alberta and trail into Saskatchewan.
鈥淭he jet stream is well north of the region right now, sitting north of North West Territories. The jet stream is the delineator between the warm air to the south and colder air to the north,鈥� Lang continued. 鈥淲hen the jet stream does that, we get milder air.鈥�
