Kelowna just shivered through the second coldest February on the books.
Matt MacDonald, meteorologist for Environment Canada, said that the average temperature this month has been -7.4 C and the normal average temperature is -0.9 C. That means this month was 6.5 C colder than normal.
The coldest February on record was February 1975, when the average temperature hovered around -7.8 C.
sa国际传媒淲e are still stuck in it for a couple of weeks,sa国际传媒� said MacDonald.
sa国际传媒淧eople ask if March is coming in like a lion or a lamb, and I would say itsa国际传媒檚 coming in like a shivering lamb.sa国际传媒�
The last couple of days havensa国际传媒檛 been the chilliest, but a resurgence of really cold weather is just around the corner. This weekend temperatures are expected to drop to lows of -12 C and highs of 0 C or -1 C.
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sa国际传媒淚t will be 5 C below normal this weekend and we see a slight moderation in the middle of next week,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e are stuck in this cool-ish spell until March 10 or 11, and then temperatures will be above seasonal for the first time since late January.
Whatsa国际传媒檚 been exceptional over the last month or so is the persistence of Arctic Air, which has been breaking temperature records in the Interior and on the Coast.
Itsa国际传媒檚 caused by a stagnant pattern in the jet stream, said MacDonald, noting that the jet stream is what separates the warm air of the south from the cold air of the north.
Usually it moves about and temperatures rise and fall, accordingly
As for whatsa国际传媒檚 causing the stagnancy, MacDonald said that theresa国际传媒檚 some indication that itsa国际传媒檚 due to climate change.
As sea ice decreases, the arctic warms and theresa国际传媒檚 a reduction in atmospheric pressure gradient that extends up into the stratosphere. This creates what they call a lazy jet stream.
sa国际传媒淚t gets stuck in blocking patterns, which results in what you see in the summer with the prolonged dry spells, or what wesa国际传媒檝e seen this winter,sa国际传媒� he said.
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