CBC Sask. meteorologist, Christy Climenhaga, looks at the winter that never was
CBC's Christy Climenhaga explains why winter 2016 never was in Regina
It's the winter that wasn't in Regina.
February is a month that is typically filled with sidewalk shovelling and shivering in parkas, but this year there are more rubber boots than Sorels on the street.
So far this month, there have been seven days where the temperature sat above the freezing mark. The average, daily high is -1.4°C and low -10.3°C.
During a typical Saskatchewan winter, the average daily high for February is -6.4°C with a low of -17°C. That means that so far, temperatures are sitting around 5°C above normal —and we have made it through what is typically the colder half of the month.
December and January were no different this year. Both months averaged between 3°C to 5°C above normal as well, with temperatures only breaking the -30°C mark once, on Jan. 16.
And, it's not just the temperatures that are abnormal!
There is a noticeable lack of snow around the Queen City. Typically, the snow depth in February is around 15 centimetres (last year there was 14 centimetres on the ground at this time). But, this year there is more grass than snow.
How unusual is a winter like this?
This kind of weather isn't unheard of, although it is rare.
A comparable season was the winter of 2001-2002. That year the average daily high for February was -1.4°C and low was -13.5°C. January and December were a few degrees above the norm as well.
Despite those averages, the end of January 2002 was on the cooler side with four consecutive days with temperatures below -30°C, a cold spell that we have yet to see this year.
What is causing all of the this balmy weather?
Right now, we are experiencing the impacts of one of the strongest El Ninos on record.
The El Nino's composition has kept the cold Arctic air to the North, while most of Saskatchewan is feeling the warmth of a Pacific air mass. This has translated into milder than normal weather for most of the winter months.
But, will it last?
So far, seasonal forecasts are indicating above average temperatures as we move into spring.
Here's to hoping!
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