More seasonal temperatures will be back next week. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

weather update

Ridge of high pressure to bring melting temperatures

Mar 1, 2021 | 5:00 PM

The temperature is expect to reach 7 C in La Ronge by Saturday.

That’s according to Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang, who said the average temperatures for this time of year are a high of -5 C and a low around -13 C. It’s forecasted to reach an overnight low of -4 C on Saturday.

“We have a big ridge of high pressure in the upper atmosphere that’s setting up,” Lang said. “What this does is sets the jet stream farther and farther north and, of course, the jet stream is just sort of that dividing line between the cold air in the north and the warmer air in the south. After a cold weekend, that thing is finally shifting north and we’re going to be in the milder air.”

With temperatures above seasonal, Lang explained it could be a sign spring is on the way. She noted meteorological spring is today, meaning to coldest months of winter (December, January and February) are finished.

“We all kind of want spring to be here,” Lang said. “It seemed like a long winter, but overall with the stats out there, it wasn’t too bad. We certainly had a cold February, but it looks like after this weekend, we will probably get more into what we call a zonal flow or more of a seasonal pattern.”

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Tuesday is forecasted to reach a high of -8 C, a low of -11 C and be snowy. Above freezing temperatures will arrive Wednesday when its expected to be 2 C during the day and -7 C at night. Thursday will have a high of 4 C and Friday will have a high of 5 C.

With the temperature fluctuating so much at the freezing point, Lang warns the melted snow could lead to icy conditions at night.

“Certainly, with the melting snow that happens during the daytime, it tends to then freeze overnight so then we get some of that black ice forming. You can’t really see it,” she said. “It’s probably ice at the road level, so that can certainly be a danger, especially in the overnight hours and early morning hours, before the sun comes up and starts working on it again.”

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno