EDMONTON -- December was 5 degrees warmer than average** in Edmonton and January's off to the same start.
However, that's not really "NEWS". We're often quite warm in the first week of January.
More the short-term forecast in a moment. First, take a look at THIS:
We're forecasting SIX days above zero in this first week of January.
That may seem like a lot. But, we had 5 days above zero in 2018.
AND...in the past 20 years, Edmonton has AVERAGED 3 days above zero in the first week of January!
So, this warm start to the new year shouldn't really come as a "surprise". In the past two decades, we've had just as many years with 5 days above zero in the first week as NO days above zero.(in both cases, five)
Daytime highs will be just slightly above zero today and Tuesday before climbing in the 5 degree range for Wednesday.
As for precipitation - not much chance of significant snow for the Edmonton area over the next 5 to 7 days.
HOWEVER, this IS a risk of some freezing rain/wet snow/rain-snow mix in the area tonight.
A low pressure system will slide across central AB tonight. 1 to 3 cm of snow is possible across parts of northern Alberta.
But, in areas from Edmonton south to the Rocky Mountain House/Red Deer region there will be some pockets of mixed precipitation and a chance of freezing rain.
Areas further east in the Lloydminster/Coronation region gets that precip late tonight/early Tuesday morning.
Outside of that, it's a pretty dry forecast for the next few days in and around Edmonton.
**Edmonton had an average high of 0.4 and a median temperature (high/low combo) of -4.3 in 2020.
The 1981-2010 averages are -4.5 and -8.8 (for the high & median). So, that puts this year about 5 degrees warmer than the previous 30-year average.
However, if you compare 2020 to older data, it was even further above the "normals".
December 2020: 0.4 & -4.3 (avg high & median temperature)
1981 - 2010: -4.5 & -8.8
1971 - 2000: -5.4 & -9.6
1961 - 1990: -6.3 & -10.5
HERE'S THE FORECAST FOR EDMONTON:
- Today - Sunny this morning. Increasing afternoon cloud.
- High: 1
- Tonight - Mostly cloudy overnight.
- Slight risk of freezing rain and/or flurries.
- 9pm: -4
- Tuesday - Clearing in the morning. Sunny in the afternoon.
- Morning Low: -4
- Afternoon High: 2
- Wednesday - Sunny with a few clouds.
- Morning Low: -4
- Afternoon High: 5
- Thursday - Partly cloudy.
- Morning Low: -8
- Afternoon High: 1
- Friday - Mainly sunny.
- Morning Low: -9
- Afternoon High: 0
- Saturday - Mainly sunny.
- Morning Low: -10
- Afternoon High: 1