We’re halfway through winter, but cooler days still ahead for Okanagan, Kamloops

Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says Kamloops and Okanagan residents should get out and enjoy the above seasonal temperatures expected this weekend, because things are about to change on the weather front.

The timing roughly coincides with the middle of winter, which by meteorological standards happens around today's date, Jan. 15.

Temperatures are expected to range between 2 and 5 Celsius today through early next week, which is around 5 degrees above normal for this time of year. There’s a possibility of snow overnight Saturday and into Sunday, but other than that it should be mostly dry under a mix of sun and clouds.

By mid-week next week daytime highs aren’t expected above 0 C.

“We usually bottom out with temperature by now, but the last half of winter looks like it’s going to be colder than the first,” Lundquist says. "We really didn’t have any winter-like weather other than a few snow events that were well-timed for Christmas and melted fairly quickly. It was way above average for temperature for the first half, but there is a change coming around mid-week next week.”

Colder air is on the way, perhaps as early as next Wednesday. There’s also an increasing chance of a return to snow in the valley by late next week.

"While there is no real Arctic air yet in the forecast, the weather pattern is expected to shift from a Pacific flow to a more nebulous, or no-flow pattern that will allow cooler air to flow into the region. It may even get cold enough to harvest ice wine grapes,” he says.

“It’s more of what we were expecting for La Nîna, but not Arctic air yet, though that still is possible in the longer term.”

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