Climatologist predicts ‘yo-yo’ winter weather for next 30 days

Regina may be in for some cold weather on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, but by Friday, temperatures should be on their way up.

Environment Canada’s senior climatologist, David Phillips, said this week will be indicative of the weather over the next month and a half.

“It will be a little bit of back and forth. We almost see some chinook-ish kind of weather come Friday, with temperatures getting up close to the freezing mark, and then back down again,” Phillips said while speaking on the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Tuesday.

The forecast daytime high for Regina on Friday is -1 C. By Sunday, it drops back down to -15 C.

Phillips said that throughout the prairies, the front half of November will likely be a lot colder, compared to the second half of the month.

“From mid-November to mid-December, we’re showing a real warm-up for the prairies,” he said. “Towards the end of November and into December, hey, it’ll be some southern, balmy breezes.”

If Phillips’ prediction holds true, that should be welcomed news for Saskatchewan Roughriders fans: The Green and White are set to host the CFL’s West Division final on Nov. 17.

“You always hate like last year (where the cold started and didn’t let up), it made for a long winter. But if you get those sort of back-and-forth, yo-yo kind of conditions, where sometimes it’s melting and sometimes it’s deep freeze, I think it just makes winter that much shorter,” Phillips said.