What’s the ideal Christmas weather?

Will there be snow on the ground or a brown holiday?

Every few years I like to revisit the topic of perfect Christmas holiday weather. Each year that I have looked at this, December has started out warm and dry with little snow cover across large parts of the southern Prairies. And what do we see this year? A warm start to December with below average



Weather forecasting 101: the short game

The granular detail of short range forecasting depends on complex models and constant updates

I recently tried to explain how I go about creating a forecast so you can do it too. Here is the Coles notes version: This final point is important. This is when you start to understand how different professional forecasters think. They might call for snow and yet the weather models don’t show snow. You

Prairie forecast: Mild and dry weather right up to the holidays

Prairie forecast: Mild and dry weather right up to the holidays

Issued Dec. 13, covering Dec. 13 to Dec. 25

Here is the big picture: there are two current storm tracks across North America. The first, which is well to our north, is the storm track that would normally be across our region. So far this winter, it has been displaced to our north – one of the reasons we have been dry. The second storm track is well to the south across the southern U.S. This places us under a rather slack flow as we oscillate between pushes of warm and cool air with each passage of low-pressure to our north.


A warm start to winter

Most models agree it will be warmer than usual, with some variations

It is time once again to look at last month’s weather and peer ahead to the latest long-range forecasts. Fall is now officially over and we are beginning the meteorological winter, so let’s see how the fall weather numbers added up. Alberta once again had a very warm month compared to the long-term average. The

How to create your own weather forecast

There are plenty of resources but there’s a science and art to forecasting

One of the questions I’m asked most often is how I create my weather forecasts. I have discussed some of the weather websites I use, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone into detail. If I do a good job, I might put myself out of business! To create your own forecast, you first need


Prairie forecast: Average to above average temperatures to continue

Prairie forecast: Average to above average temperatures to continue

Issued Dec. 6, covering Dec. 6 to Dec. 13

With no big storm system impacting our region, the weather models have been doing a good job with the forecasts over the last few weeks. As we start to move closer and closer towards the middle of winter, the longer we can keep the warm air around, the shorter we can hope winter will be. With that said, here is what the big picture is looking like over the next seven or so days.

Heavy rain hits French winter seeding

Heavy rain hits French winter seeding

French grain sowings slow and crop ratings fall after heavy rain

Reuters – Winter grain sowings made little progress and crop ratings fell in France during the second week of November, farm office FranceAgriMer data showed Nov. 17. It is a sign that heavy rainfall took a toll on crops in the European Union’s biggest grain grower. French farmers had sown 71 per cent of the expected soft wheat


File photo of a colourful sky from along Highway 363 southwest of Moose Jaw. (Mysticenergy/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Quiet, mild start to December

Issued Nov. 29, covering Nov. 29 to Dec. 6

The last forecast played out pretty close to what the weather models were predicting, with one small deviation: temperatures ended up being about 2 to 4 C warmer than forecasted. This will be something to keep in mind as we look at this week’s forecast. The forecast is looking rather quiet for this time of

Precipitation and atmospheric temperature profiles

Meteorology 101: The precipitation we receive depends on the air it meets along the way

Precipitation is a vital aspect of Earth’s climate and plays a significant role in shaping our environment. From gentle drizzles to heavy snowfall, precipitation comes in various forms, each with unique characteristics and formation conditions. This week we’ll delve into different types of precipitation and the atmospheric conditions necessary for their creation. In the last