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Cooler temperatures but no snow expected in Peace Region for a couple of weeks

Oct 9, 2020 | 1:08 PM

While the temperatures in Grande Prairie and the Peace Region have recently hit the subzero mark, Environment Canada says that the first major snowfall in the Peace Region is still a couple of weeks away.

“It looks like the temperature trend from the middle of the month from next week onwards puts daytime highs more on the five-degree range, so your overnight lows are likely often below zero at that point and time,” explained Blaine Lowry with Environment Canada. “Sometime at the back half of the month likely, although there’s no clear indication when that first snowfall could be at this point.”

According to Lowry, as we move into mid- and late-October, there is some rain expected to be in the forecast, especially in the evening.

While the temperature on some nights will drop below the freezing mark, Lowry tells EverythingGP that he doesn’t expect any precipitation that falls to become freezing rain.

“We’ve had some below-freezing nights recently, those usually coincide when we’ve had nights with clear skies. It depends on the air mass in place. This fall so far, we’ve generally had above-normal conditions. This weekend and throughout the next week we are more looking at more average conditions.”

“It’s basically the fact that we don’t have that colder air at the surface quite yet. What you need for freezing rain is it falls, it melts and it’s below zero at the surface.”

With the snow still a couple of weeks away, Lowry says it is a good reminder that motorists should start thinking about getting their vehicles ready for the first snowfall.

“Obviously, people are going to want to adjust their driving conditions once the snow falls, and have a safety kit in your car for the winter months, especially when it gets cold and stormy.”