Residents are pictured enjoying a warm January afternoon on the Athletic Park trail Wednesday. The city broke its previous high temperature record as thermometers rose to 14C. See weather map on Page A2 for more details.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com
A high-pressure system covering most of the province has ushered in a week of unseasonably warm weather in Alberta.
Wednesday marked the third day of record high temperatures for parts of the province.
In Medicine Hat, both Tuesday and Wednesday represented record highs.
Tuesday’s daytime high of 12.2C surpassed the previous record of 10.7C, set in 2021. Wednesday’s 14C beat out a long-standing record high of 10.6C, set all the way back in 1933.
David Phillips, climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says this week’s warm spell stands out for several reasons.
Phillips says while southeast Alberta experiences a January thaw most years, many times the thaw only lasts a day or two. By Wednesday, Medicine Hat had already experienced a full week of above-zero temperatures.
While Phillips says Wednesday represents the peak of this warm weather system, Hatters can expect temperatures to remain well above seasonal for the rest of the week, with more seasonal temperatures returning by midweek next week.
This week’s warm spell is also notable for its reach.
“I don’t think I saw a temperature in the entire province that was below freezing on Wednesday,” he said in an interview with the News. “This is truly remarkable – it’s north to south, east to west. This California air has absolutely taken over Alberta.”
The average high in Medicine Hat on Jan. 14 is -5C, meaning Wednesday’s high was 19 degrees warmer than typical.
Records were also set Tuesday in the Grande Prairie, Brooks, Stony Plain and Sundre areas.
Calgary set a record Wednesday with a daytime high of 17C. The previous record was established in 1986, when temperatures reached a peak of 12.3C.
With an average high of -3.1C this time of year, Calgary’s high represented a 20-degree difference from typical temperatures.
These anomalous temperatures are the result of a massive high-pressure system off the coast of British Columbia that resembles a summertime heat dome.
“It’s massive, it’s one of the highest we’ve ever seen, and intensely warm. And it’s just driving the weather,” said Phillips.
Phillips says January is statistically the coldest month in Medicine Hat, and mid-January marks the halfway point of the long winter season.
“From a statistical point of view, we can say that there’s more winter behind you than ahead of you. You weathered it,” he said. “A January thaw is a psychological uplift. It’s kind of like an intermission between winters.”
December in Medicine Hat was colder than usual, but September, October and November were the warmest on record in 80 years of ECCC monitoring.
In November, Medicine Hat experienced a one-off record-breaking day, with temperatures reaching almost 21C. But by the end of the month, temperatures had plummeted to nearly -30C.
Phillips says these trends are not attributable to any larger seasonal or climatic pattern.
“It was just an oddity – there’s nothing to say it’s climate change, it’s not as if it’s an El Nino or La Nina. It’s just that sometimes weather can be wacky,” he said.
From here on, as days get longer, Phillips says about two minutes of daylight will be gained per day.
