Last February 3rd, Weyburn was shivering, with an overnight low of -31°. Fast forward 12 months, and we are looking at a daytime high of -5°, and a weekend that will see the temperatures hovering right around 0°. This also comes after a week where there were two extreme cold warnings issues.  

So, what is bringing us all this warmer weather? 

“The jet stream has kind of changed now so that we’re getting into that milder flow and it comes off the Pacific,” explained Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. “It kind of squeezes its moisture on the coast, and as it comes down the other side of the mountain, it Chinooks, and we get the milder temperatures coming with it.” 

The system that is bringing the milder temperatures is also being accompanied by some wind, with gusts upwards of 50 km/h being expected in the Weyburn area. However, winds usually indicate a change in weather patterns. Lang said as the winds move from the southeast to the southwest, we will see the warming trend pick up even more.  

The temperatures hovering right around 0° for a few days are generally pleasant for people who want to spend some time outdoors, however, it can also lead to other issues.  

“We’re going to get that freeze-thaw cycle, which means we’ll probably see a lot of melting on the roads and black ice forming in the overnight period, so people should just be kind of aware of that,” Lang cautioned. 

The month of February is known for being one of the colder months of the year. Just a few years ago the average daytime high in February was -18.1° and the average overnight low was -28.5°. Is this milder trend a reprieve for the next short bit, with those colder temperatures on the way later this month? 

“While the longer range forecast is showing that sort of towards the middle of next week we’ll probably get into some colder air, no, it doesn’t look like anything too serious; not, you know, down into those -40s or anything like that,” Lang added.  

While the temperatures will be mild for the next bit, these temperatures aren’t out of the ordinary for February, Lang pointed out. While we have seen some bitterly cold days in the month of February in recent years, the range of temperatures is quite vast, going from a record daytime high of 8° in 1991, to a -37.4° in 1996. Of course, the coldest day ever recorded in Weyburn, February 7th, 2019, was -41.6° 

We shouldn’t see anything close to the record, however. 

“We don’t see that pattern coming, and initially the long-range forecast for February had called for below-average temperatures, and now I’ve noticed the trend is going towards a better chance of average temperatures versus below average,” Lang concluded.  

You can get the latest details by checking the Discover Weyburn Weather page.