Blame it on El Niño..The normally mild Pacific current that’s supposed to give Western Canadians a warmer winter is taking a break after three consecutive La Niña years, which could result in an early season snowfall as soon as next week, according the Weather Network..And in fact, the mountain parks and higher elevation locales have already seen a good dusting of the white stuff and the weekend looks decidedly chillier — and fluffier — for city dwellers..“Ready or not, Alberta, some of you will get your first taste of winter as SNOW arrives over the next few days,” it said on its website.. El NiñoWeather Network is predicting a chilly start to fall. .Friday also marked the first frost in southern Alberta, marking the official start of Indian Summer..As anyone in Calgary knows, a lot can change in seven days and the snow isn’t expected to stick around. But ski buffs can take heart it won’t be long before they can hit the slopes; both the Sunshine and Lake Louise webcams are showing what appear to be significant coverage for this time of year..But the Weather Network is sticking with its predictions for a warmer than normal winter, especially in southern Alberta — with less snow — with more normal levels of precipitation expected north of Edmonton..“Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate much of the upcoming season. However, like every other fall season, this fall will include shots of early winter-like weather and possibly even a more extended stretch of cold temperatures before warmer than normal weather returns for the end of fall and into the beginning of winter,” it said.. Western Canada tempsAverage Western Canada fall high temperatures. .That’s bad news for farmers in southern Alberta where rivers such as the Old Man are at their lowest levels in more than 50 years, prompting the Alberta government in August to declare a Stage 4 water alert — just one short of a full-blown emergency..Levels in the Old Man dam fell so low that the MD of Pincher Creek could no longer draw water from its two reservoir intakes, a situation that could persist into spring without significant amounts of snow..“While it appears we will be able to complete the 2023 irrigation season without significant detriment, the situation could become more dire for the 2024 season if we do not receive a normal volume of spring snowmelt,” Alberta Agriculture Deputy Minister Jason Hale said in an August 28 letter to southern irrigation districts.
Blame it on El Niño..The normally mild Pacific current that’s supposed to give Western Canadians a warmer winter is taking a break after three consecutive La Niña years, which could result in an early season snowfall as soon as next week, according the Weather Network..And in fact, the mountain parks and higher elevation locales have already seen a good dusting of the white stuff and the weekend looks decidedly chillier — and fluffier — for city dwellers..“Ready or not, Alberta, some of you will get your first taste of winter as SNOW arrives over the next few days,” it said on its website.. El NiñoWeather Network is predicting a chilly start to fall. .Friday also marked the first frost in southern Alberta, marking the official start of Indian Summer..As anyone in Calgary knows, a lot can change in seven days and the snow isn’t expected to stick around. But ski buffs can take heart it won’t be long before they can hit the slopes; both the Sunshine and Lake Louise webcams are showing what appear to be significant coverage for this time of year..But the Weather Network is sticking with its predictions for a warmer than normal winter, especially in southern Alberta — with less snow — with more normal levels of precipitation expected north of Edmonton..“Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected to dominate much of the upcoming season. However, like every other fall season, this fall will include shots of early winter-like weather and possibly even a more extended stretch of cold temperatures before warmer than normal weather returns for the end of fall and into the beginning of winter,” it said.. Western Canada tempsAverage Western Canada fall high temperatures. .That’s bad news for farmers in southern Alberta where rivers such as the Old Man are at their lowest levels in more than 50 years, prompting the Alberta government in August to declare a Stage 4 water alert — just one short of a full-blown emergency..Levels in the Old Man dam fell so low that the MD of Pincher Creek could no longer draw water from its two reservoir intakes, a situation that could persist into spring without significant amounts of snow..“While it appears we will be able to complete the 2023 irrigation season without significant detriment, the situation could become more dire for the 2024 season if we do not receive a normal volume of spring snowmelt,” Alberta Agriculture Deputy Minister Jason Hale said in an August 28 letter to southern irrigation districts.
