If you thought January has been colder than normal in Kamloops, you were right | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops News

If you thought January has been colder than normal in Kamloops, you were right

KAMLOOPS - The cold snap in Kamloops is finally coming to a close, with temperatures reaching above the freezing mark today for the first time in weeks.

Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan says the first half of January has been the coldest month in the city since 1979, but things are expected to warm up in the over the next week.

Castellan says the typical temperature range for January in Kamloops is between -1 Celsius and -8 C, but so far this month the mean temperature has been -13.4 C. A mean temperature is calculated by adding a daily high and low together, then dividing the number by two.

"Four or five degrees, it's pretty normal to have that kind of variation," Castellan says. "To have 10 degrees below for basically half the month, that’s a little bit less typical."

Right now, January 2017 is the eighth coldest month on record in the city, Castellan says, but it's likely the warm spell that's expected this week will bring the mean temperature back up.

"I would say that you’re probably not going to be in that top eight by the end of the month," Castellan says. "You’re probably going to come back to something like top 30 or top 40 coldest."

Castellan says even though temperatures are rising this week, it won't be warm enough to bring the average January temperature back to normal. Things will cool off again for the final days of January, but nothing like the cold we've seen so far.

"The end of the month will probably go back to normal temperatures which is that kind of -1 C to -8 C range," he says. "So you’re going to get all three in separate chunks. You’re going to get much colder, a little bit warmer and then normal."

It's not just Kamloops being affected by the change in weather. Castellan says cities all over the province have been experiencing abnormally cold temperatures up until last weekend.

"You’re definitely going from a very cold spell to a slightly warmer spell, and that’s true over the entirety of the province," he says. "There’s been a huge shift in the weather pattern since the weekend."

The air is warming up considerably this week, with a high temperature of 6 C forecasted for tomorrow, Jan. 17. Even though the snow may melt and cause slushy roads, B.C. flood safety engineer Jeptha Ball says there are no concerns of rising river levels in the Thompson.

"At this time, there's no significant risk," Ball says.

The sheets of ice covering the Thompson River are relatively thin, he says, which means when the ice breaks up and melts during warmer temperatures, there's no significant risks of ice jams.

You can keep track of weather conditions here.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Ashley Legassic or call 250-319-7494 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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