By Patrick Burles - @Patrick Burles on Twitter

Environment Canada Expecting Ups and Downs in the Coming Months

Sep 12, 2016 | 3:17 PM

LETHBRIDGE – After a relatively short and mild winter last year – during which you almost could have lost your snow shovel and been fine – we can expect a return of the cold and snow.

“It’s going to clearly be more of a winter than last year, because the fact that super El Niño is dead in the water,” explained Environment Canada Climatologist, David Phillips.

“Last year, because of the super El Niño and a lot of western air and not a lot of Arctic air, it had kind of a mild tinge to it. My sense is we’re not going to see a repeat, because we don’t see the water temperatures out in the Pacific as warm,” Phillips continued.

Phillips did have some good news though, making sure not to cast too heavy a shadow over the coming months.

“It’s not going to be the winter from hell, nature’s not going to make up for a lack of winter last year,” Phillips stated. “We’re going from a thought that it was going to be La Niña [this year], which generally produces colder and snowier winters, to something that’s more neutral.”

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Phillips also noted that this year the weather patterns appear to be more neutral, as average water temperatures allow air-currents to come from different directions.

“You get some southerly flow, which will be melting and milder, you’ll get some northerly flow that reminds you of where you’re living, so it’ll be a little bit of back and forth and I always think that makes a winter for everybody [to enjoy].”

Adding another positive note, Phillips says that despite the recent cold weather, we should be in for a pleasant fall.

“Our models are showing for the fall period, the next couple of months, we think in southern Alberta it looks like it’s going to be warmer than normal.

“There could still be frost on the pumpkin and snow before Remembrance Day, but these typically would be one-day kind of wonders, we think the flavour and personality of the fall season ahead is going to be milder than normal,” he explained.