The temperature anomaly in November 2023. (Submitted image/Terri Lang)

By Derek Cornet

weather update

Autumn in La Ronge second warmest on record

Dec 5, 2023 | 12:48 PM

It was the second warmest fall in 58 years of record keeping in La Ronge.

That’s according to data from Environment and Climate Change Canada, which classifies fall as September, October and November. The seasonal mean temperature for La Ronge during that period was 4.3 C, a 3.1 C departure from the 30-year average.

Key Lake had its warmest fall on record (46 years) with a seasonal mean temperature of 1.8 C, also a 3.1 C departure from the 30-year average.

“It’s hard to pinpoint one reason, just because it was such a warm summer and now into a warm fall, so I think it’s a continuation of that,” meteorologist Terri Lang said.

“Probably one of the biggest reasons would be El Niño has sort of established itself. El Niño is an event. It’s about the temperature of the water off the coast of South America and it being an above-average temperature in an El Niño year.”

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Lang explained when the water off the coast of South America is warm, it affects the jetstream across Western Canada and places it farther North. The jetstream affects the delineation between the cold air to the North and the cold air to the South, so if it is offset further North, that means there is warmer air more often.

Low-pressure systems also tend to travel along the jetstream and those low-pressure systems are the ones that give precipitation like snow and rain. If the jetstream is to the North, that also means there will be a lot less precipitation.

November for La Ronge was the 13^th warmest on record with a monthly mean temperature of -4.6 C, a 3.7 C departure from normal. Lang noted she expects the next three months to also be warmer than average and dry.

“Definitely it is just with El Niño well established now and it’s expected to be a strong El Niño,” she said. “We are certainly lacking a lot of snow across Saskatchewan and it is already into early December. Even the stuff that has fallen is pretty meager already sadly.”

The upcoming forecast for La Ronge shows a 30 per cent chance of rain on Tuesday with a temperature of 0 C. Wednesday is expected to be 1 C and sunny, before clouds roll in for Thursday. Friday through Monday is expected to include a mix of sun and cloud with temperatures mostly in the minus-teens.

Lang recommends those travelling Thursday into Friday to check the forecast and highway conditions before heading out as a weather system will be moving through south of La Ronge and in Prince Albert.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com