December continues to bring the heat in 2023, even in the closing days of the year. 

Yesterday, Swift Current broke a record for the highest temperature recorded in the area, at 11.6 C. Previously, the record was 7.6 C, which was set back in 1999. 

Meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, Terri Lang, thinks this will be the last record broken this winter. 

"It doesn't look like we'll have any more records for the rest of the year," Lang said. "It's going to stay above seasonal for the next couple of days, and then we're going to see a cooling trend set in after New Year's."

December saw records set on the 28th, 22nd, 20th, and the 6th. January will kick start 2024 with more seasonally appropriate temperatures moving back into the prairies. Nothing absurdly cold, but lows around -19 C should be the new normal. 

"Getting towards more what we will call sort of average values," said Lang. 

Snow is expected to maintain a fleeting presence in Swift Current. Without snow cover, the albedo effect can't take place. Albedo is what happens when snow, being shiny and reflective, bounces back a lot of the sun's rays. Without the snow, more heat gets trapped at the ground level, warming things up like what was seen in December. 

In the end, expect cool air temperatures in 2024, and an end of t-shirt weather in southwest Saskatchewan. 

"Maybe it's time to put away the shorts and the flip-flops after this weekend," noted Lang. "Maybe get some long pants and a jacket out so that you can 'weather' the temperatures that are coming."

 

In response to Canada's Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to local news from their platforms, Swift Current Online encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the Swift Current Online app.