The first day of meteorological autumn is here. But as winter draws near, Saskatchewan residents might be in for a lighter snowy season — at least for the first part. Carol Connare, editor-in-chief of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, says the province can expect temperatures five to six degrees Celsius (C) warmer than normal this winter, thanks to El Niño. El Niño is a global climate phenomenon that describes the warming phase of sea surface temperature. “When we look at El Niño, usually the first half of the winter is where we see some of that precipitation loaded up,” Connare told CTV News Your Morning Saskatchewan. “But overall, the winter should have less precipitation — really centred on kind of the first half of the winter.” Connare said the first half of winter will be the best case for snow, but when it does fall, it will melt quicker due to the warmer temperatures. Still, the editor-and-chief said if Saskatchewan experiences one of its signature stretches of extreme cold (-50 C wind chills), it would likely also occur in the first half of winter. Connare added the western part of the province will likely experience temperatures and precipitation more in-line with typical winter weather as opposed to the eastern part which is projected to receive much milder weather. The Old Farmer’s Almanac traditionally carries an accuracy rate of 80 per cent or better, according to Connare. “That’s held true for years,” she said. “We do publish every year. We look at different cities in every region and we publish our results … last year, I think we were in the mid-80s for most of Canada. It’s crazy, right? Forecasting long-range weather.”
