Canada Winter Games officials are keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts as another spate of unseasonable warmth is predicted to strike Prince George just as the Games begin.
Environment Canada is forecasting above zero highs starting Wednesday, climbing to 7 C on Friday before dropping back down to 2 C on Monday. However, the overnight low is expected to drop back down to the -5 C range beginning Saturday night-Sunday morning.
And according to the 14-day forecast from The Weather Network, overnight lows are expected to remain below zero through to at least Feb. 24, although highs slightly above-freezing are also in the forecast further out.
Games CEO Stuart Ballantyne said there is enough snow in place for most of the competitions at the Games' three ski venues - Tabor, Purden and Otway - while a contingency involving "shifts of time and then shifts of day" is in place for long track speed skating at the outdoor ice oval.
"If we're coming out of a situation where it's below zero at night, we might start a little earlier to get practice in and we'll also look at the days and see if we need to move a day here or there," Ballantyne said.
Long track speed skating is scheduled entirely for the Games' first week but actual competitions are scheduled for only four of those days. And Thurs., Feb. 19 and Fri., Feb. 20 are held in reserve in case of weather trouble earlier in the week.
The highs on those days are 0 C and 1 C, with lows in the -5 C overnight, according to The Weather Network.
Environment Canada will be issuing daily updates while event officials will do their own monitoring at the site.
It's doubtful athletes will be forced to race at 4 a.m., Ballantyne said, but that's what will happen if need be.
"If four in the morning is the only time to run it, I'd rather have the competition versus having to send the kids home without being able to compete," Ballantyne said.
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