Warmth coming could push Calgary into a brown Christmas
If you’ve had visions of a winter wonderland full of activities like tobogganing and snow angels this Christmas you might have to make other plans.
Alysa Pederfron from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) tells Daily Hive that while Calgary is seeing unseasonably warm temperatures, it’s not technically a brown Christmas… just yet.
Snow levels at the Calgary Airport are currently at four cm, double the amount that is required to qualify as a snowless “brown Christmas.”
Pederson says there’s a chance the snow could melt with warm temperatures above zero expected for the rest of the week.
Environment and Climate Change Canada
The last time the city didn’t have snow on the ground for Christmas was back in 2018. Calgary possibly getting a snowless Christmas this year might not be entirely surprising, considering 2023 is on track to be the third-hottest year on record for YYC. It is also the warmest December on record in 140 years in the city.
The lack of snow is also influencing drought conditions that are ongoing in southern Alberta right now.
In contrast, Edmonton has seen less snow in Calgary. It has been nearly 20 years since the last time Edmonton had no snow for Christmas Day.