Photo: Curtis Galbraith

By Emily Keller

winter preview

GP area seeing above normal temperatures for time of year: Environment Canada

Nov 20, 2019 | 5:30 AM

Winter will officially begin next month and so far, the Grande Prairie area has seen mild temperatures for this time of year.

Dan Kulak, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, says nine of the first 17 days have been warmer than zero for November.

“Certainly there’s been some snow and some freezing rain in there as well, and [you] might not realize it, but if you’re going to have the warmer weather, you’re probably going to have more snow and freezing rain and a lot more so than if you just want to accept the minus twenty type of thing, which is typical of some parts. At least of the winter.”

According to Environment Canada’s website, November 17 was the warmest day in the city of Grande Prairie so far, with a high of 11.3 degrees. Remembrance Day had the lowest so far, with a low of -27.4.

Kulak says still, there are safe expectations to have for every winter.

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“I think you have to look at every winter as probably going to [give] you some warm spells and some ugly cold spells as well, and ugly is always in the eye of the beholder because if you’re a tow truck driver and the cab companies, you would love minus forty if you can get it because that’s when you’re making your business.”

Environment Canada says not a lot more precipitation is expected, though Kulak says it is still a little too early to tell.

“Things can happen on short notice. You can see a little bit of a weather blip comes through and you get a shot of snow or freezing rain, and those things are more likely when you get into temperatures that are around that zero degree mark, which for this time of year is actually above normal.”

Environment Canada’s Seasonal Forecast for the Winter Season will come out at the end of November.