While the start to January saw temperatures right around seasonal, things have warmed up substantially in Weyburn.  

The normal temperature for this time of year is -10°. The forecast high for Monday afternoon is 0°, and the rest of the week is expected to have temperatures above seasonal as well.  

Janelle Gergely is a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. She explained the reason for the milder weather comes from the west.  

“The current pattern we have right now is bringing in some warmer than usual air,” Gergely explained. “It’s originating off the Pacific Ocean and coming from the south.”  

She added the temperatures are expected to stick around as well. 

“That looks like it's going to continue into next week. Maybe early to mid-next week we’ll actually see temperatures drop back down to normal.” 

While the milder temperatures aren’t seasonal, they aren’t too unusual. Weyburn has seen some mild weather for the first half of January in the past, with the record for January 9th being 9.3°, set back in 2012.  

Coming with the milder temperatures is humidity, something that is a little out of the ordinary in southeast Saskatchewan in January. This was evident last week with the fog that left a blanket of rime ice on nearly everything.  

“That has to do with the stagnant weather pattern that we’re in right now,” said Gergely. “There is high pressure that’s able to trap moisture and because it's just been sitting there it's been able to build up, so that’s why we’re seeing such high humidity values.” 

The temperatures around the freezing mark with the possibility of sunshine for at least a few days this week will result in the freeze/thaw cycle being prevalent at times. This could lead to some icy and slippery conditions on area highways. There is also the possibility of more fog thanks to the humidity, and the mild temperatures do increase the chance of some freezing rain over the next few days as well.  

You can find the details of what to expect on the Discover Weyburn Weather page.