With the cold snap now a distant memory, Wood Buffalo basks in the glow of an early spring.
Spring officially begins on March 20, 2019, however residents are already celebrating of the warm weather.
A spokesman from Environment Canada says the trend will continue into next week.
“It’s significantly above what we typically would expect seasonally. The average high is usually just above freezing in Fort McMurray, and the average low is about minus 13 to minus 14. So, it is definitely above what we typically would expect for this time of the year.”
As temperature approach record values, however, he warns residents to expect wet conditions on roads and pathways.
“It’s going to seem very warm and it’s going to exacerbate the melt problems and we’re going to see a lot of that snow that’s accumulated over the winter really starting to puddle up [by the] middle of next week.”
With that being said, is spring finally here to stay?
“I certainly hope so, for everyone’s sake.” He said. “The end of March and into the month of April tends to be time of the year where we tend to get a lot of our biggest snowfalls. So, while it’s warming up, I wouldn’t be surprised for us to see one or two more events of snow before we really get into spring.”
What to expect
- Fort Chipewyan winter road to close this weekend.
- The Salvation Army shelters return to regular hours.
- Read up on how Wood Buffalo charities came together during the long cold snap.
