The March forecast for Alberta is out and don't say goodbye to the snow just yet
Some folks in Alberta may have been walloped by heavy snow to end February, and experts say don’t count out some big dumps of snow for the month of March, either.
Daily Hive spoke with Alysa Pederson, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and Alberta should prepare for a somewhat typical March when it comes to weather.
Pederson says when it comes to the chance of March delivering normal temperatures, models are showing a 40 to 50% confidence in that coming to fruition.
Normal temperatures for March vary across Alberta, with Northern portions, like the Fort McMurray area, sitting around the -5°C mark, while Edmonton is closer to zero, and Southern Alberta creeps up to a couple degrees above zero for daytime highs.
One key thing that can heavily influence the weather in March is where the jet stream lands, with March and April typically being the snowiest months of the year for Alberta.
Temperatures dip before a gradual warmup
Albertans should expect to kick off the start of March on the cooler side, with the first week trending a little below normal than usual before turning to more normal temperatures for the rest of the month.
Pederson added Albertans should be able to say goodbye to the bitter-cold daytime highs.
“Into March, it’s looking like no big signals for a big cool down, this is likely our last daytime highs of -20°C right now.”
Thanks to the tail end of an El Niño, Alberta should expect to see a decent amount of snow in March and April, but it could potentially be less than normal; however, meteorologists caution it doesn’t mean big dumps of snow aren’t out of the question.
“Alberta can have some pretty wild weather, as we go into March don’t put your shovel away yet, keep those winter tires on, spring in this province can fluctuate quite a lot. It’s the time of the year your closets are the most full with spring and winter jackets,” Pederson added.
Jumping further into 2024, El Niño conditions are set to ease in the April to June timeframe, allowing for “essentially normal weather patterns,” before a La Niña is set to make its return for the fall and winter. Talk about weather whiplash!