It has been a cold, snowy weekend across the Peace Region, and forecasters are expecting it to stay that way throughout the winter.
Temperatures are expected to drop below -20°C this week. It could be as low as -31°C in Fort Nelson, where 35cm of snow has already accumulated.
Environment Canada is predicting December in northeast BC will be cooler than normal. There is also a 40-50% chance that the region will see higher than average precipitation.
These weather patterns are part of the expected La Niña winter, which will bring a ridge of high pressure over the Pacific Ocean, causing cool flows of air from the northwest.
This year will bring the third La Niña winter in a row, but since no two La Niñas are the same, there could still be variation from last year’s conditions. Forecasters also say that conditions could trend toward neutral through the spring, although it’s too early to predict spring conditions with much accuracy.
