The sun is shining on Prince George, the calendar says March 29 and we’re now well into spring,
So why does it still look and feel like winter?
“It’s not a typical Arctic outbreak like we saw five times from mid- November to early-March, when we had our last one,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan. “But when we do see these strongly-deepened troughs (of low pressure) on the western side of North America, which is what we’re dealing with, that creates the recipe for colder air to dominate, even through right now we are very much in the swing of the sun rising higher in the sky every day.”
City residents woke up Wednesday to a chilly -8 C commute and that was warm in comparison to the overnight low of -14.5 C on Tuesday - the fifth-coldest March 28 on record but not quite as cold as it was on that day in 1936 when the mercury plunged to -23.3 C.
Clear skies will prevail on Thursday, but wet snow or rain is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday with highs of 6 C and 3 C predicted. No accumulations are expected for the city but mountain passes in much of the province could get heavier snow, which may make for slippery driving conditions.
The sun will return Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with highs ranging from 6-8 C and lows around -6 or -8, close to five degrees colder than normal.
“We see quite a strong solar influence from the sun in the afternoon and that’s why you’re seeing temperatures cycle quite strongly between overnight minimums and daytime maximums,” said Castallen.
With Easter coming next weekend, Castallen says temperatures will be closer to season norms before the weather takes another dip.
