We are winter, Prince George told the Canada Games organizers five years ago, convincing them to award the 2015 Winter Games to this city, over Kamloops and Kelowna.
While those cities are certainly not winter, it turns out Prince George was telling a bit of a tall tale about just how winter we really are. We neglected to tell them that significant parts of January and February are more Vancouver and less Fort Nelson.
Take 2010, the year the games were awarded to Prince George, for example. That February, 17 of the 28 days in the month saw daytime highs above zero, according to data from Environment Canada. In 2012, 19 of the 29 days (leap year) were above zero and 2013 saw 25 of the 28 days in February with daily highs above freezing, including the first 17 days of the month in a row.
Those numbers should have Stu Ballantyne and the Canada Winter Games folks tossing and turning in their beds at night. Even last February, where there were just nine days of above-zero daytimes temperatures, all nine of those warm days happened consecutively.
On the positive side of the ledger, it froze every night last February, it was above freezing overnight just once in February 2013 and twice - the last two days of the month - during the same month in 2010.
There have already been 11 days above zero this January and the city is on pace to beat 2012, when 16 days in January were above the freezing mark. In 2010, there were 14 days above zero in Prince George that January and all 14 of those balmy winter days - two whole weeks - happened in a row.
The problem is all of those consecutive days above freezing, with temperatures barely falling below zero overnight, which is what Prince George has experienced since Jan. 15 with no end in sight. All those days of thawing during the day and freezing at night are to blame for the outbreak of potholes in city streets but they're also damaging to important outdoor winter sports facilities, particularly the long track outdoor ice oval.
The recent burst of warm weather has forced the organizers of the annual Iceman to remove the skate portion of the competition this Sunday. During the Winter Games, long track is in the first week, with two weather days left blank if needed, but a good week or more of chilly overnight temperatures will be needed over the next three weeks to restore the oval to make it competition ready. Unfortunately, the present long-range forecast is not encouraging, with the current thaw/freeze pattern set to continue indefinitely.
The elevation at Tabor and Purden protect those downhill ski facilities somewhat, as does the forest out at Otway for cross-country skiing and biathlon. At all three locations, it's common to be snowing out there when it's raining in downtown Prince George. Still, the warm daytime highs, particularly when it's plus-five or more, accompanied by wind and rain, can create sloppy, slushy conditions for athletes competing on snow and ice outdoors.
Compared to most Canadians, however, Prince George does actually see a fourth season, better known as winter, with snow, ice and freezing temperatures seen for five (or more) months of the year. The bulk of Canadians live snug against the American border and in cities with temperate climates where winter is short, if at all, and can usually be labelled as an extended autumn. In the case of Calgary, chinooks can take it from 20-below to 15-above in the same day.
Winter is a relative thing, as anyone who has lived north of the 60th parallel for any length of time can affirm. The residents of Whitehorse, Inuvik, Yellowknife and Iqaluit view Prince George and the weather here in the same light that local residents view Vancouver, Kelowna, Toronto and Windsor.
For Canadians in general and Prince George residents in particular, we're usually one of the first two servings of porridge Goldilocks tries - it's either too hot or it's too cold.
For the 2015 Canada Winter Games, just right would be a daytime high of minus-five and an overnight low of minus-10 or so for the last two weeks in February, with not too much new snow. If recent winters in Prince George are any indication, however, the outdoor events at the Winter Games could be challenged with weather than has less winter and more spring behind it.
