Friday’s forecast included unusually warm temperatures in some parts of Canada, but will the balmy weather stick around? A weather system ushered in temperatures as warm as 12 C in the warmest part of the country on Friday morning – Windsor, Ont. To put that in context, the seasonal norm for Windsor this time of year is a high of -1 C, according to Environment Canada’s records. It was 8 C in Toronto Friday morning, and expected to warm up to 12 C in Canada’s largest city throughout the day. It was cooler in Ottawa and Montreal early Friday, but the cities can expect highs of 7 C and 6 C, respectively, later in the day. The normal high for Jan. 9 in both cities is -6 C, while in Toronto, it’s -2 C. Meteorologists predicted a high of 0 C in the Thunder Bay area Friday, warmer than the normal high of -9 C. The predicted high in Quebec City Friday is 2 C, up a bit from the seasonal norm of -8 C. The sudden warmth felt in parts of Ontario and Quebec is not expected to last. The forecasts show temperatures dipping back below the freezing mark by Saturday, Sunday or Monday, depending on where you live. In the nation’s capital, for example, the daily high is expected to dip back down to seasonal norms by Thursday, and it’s expected to be below zero again overnight Friday into Saturday morning. Special weather statements are in effect for much of the provinces, as well, advising of rain showers accompanied by strong wind gusts, and a cold front pushing in Friday afternoon or evening. Western Canada, the North The warm temperatures aren’t being felt everywhere. As of 8 a.m. EST, the coldest location in Canada was at the Fort Good Hope Airport in Nunavut, where the mercury dipped to a bone-chilling -46.1 C. Whitehorse’s temperature as of 8 a.m. EST was a chilly -30 C, and it was -26 C in Yellowknife, and -15 C in Iqaluit. Winnipeg residents woke up to fog and temperatures around -15 C, though it was expected to warm up to a slightly-above-seasonal -8 C later in the day. Further west, Environment Canada forecast highs of -9 C and -14 C in Regina and Saskatoon, with a mix of sun and cloud into the weekend. The forecasts for those cities show highs above the freezing mark early next week. The forecast high in Calgary Friday is a bit above what is typical for this time of year, at an expected 2 C. And things are warming up even more next week, with highs well above zero currently predicted in the city. Residents of Edmonton similarly are expected to get some relief from the cold, with forecast highs currently sitting in the seven-to-10-degree range next week, although on Friday the temperature was only expected to reach -3 C. Further west, Vancouver can expect a high of 8 C Friday, and two-digit temperatures are in the forecast Tuesday and Wednesday. The typical daily high for the city this time of year is 6 C. It’s expected to reach 10 C in Victoria Friday, a slightly-warmer-than-normal daily high forecast to continue well into next week. In Prince George, B.C., the daily high Friday is expected to reach 3 C, and it will be even warmer Saturday and into next week, with daily highs forecast between 5 and 7 C. Atlantic Canada On the East Coast, the expected high in Halifax was also 3 C Friday, slightly above the norm for this time of year of 0 C. Forecasters expect the temperature to climb to 9 C on Saturday, before returning back to 3 C on Sunday and 0 C Monday. Charlottetown was expected to be cooler Friday, with a high of 0 C, but Saturday will be warmer than normal in the city as well, with Environment Canada expecting the high to reach 7 C before dipping back below freezing on Sunday. In Fredericton, where the high is typically around -4 C on Jan. 9, the forecast high was 2 C Friday and 6 C on Saturday. Those in St. John’s, N.L., were advised to expect a seasonably normal high of 0 C Friday, but Monday’s forecast currently includes an atypical high of 7 C.
