THUNDER BAY — Despite forecast overnight temperatures dipping into the minus-20s for the next two days, Environment Canada says the outlook for January is for milder weather than Thunder Bay usually sees this time of year.
If that expectation holds true, it will continue the trend established in December.
"It was warm" in Thunder Bay this month, meteorologist Peter Kimball told Tbnewswatch in an interview Monday.
According to Kimball, the mean temperature through Dec. 30 was -7.7 C, about four degrees below the long-term average for the city, -11.6 C.
He said that's reflected in the fact the city did not crack the -30 C mark this month, whereas last December that happened three times.
The coldest temperature recorded this month was -27.6 C.
"The theme this month has been that it's been warm, and I really think that's going to continue," Kimball said.
Wind chill into the minus-30s Monday night and Tuesday will be followed by a sharp upward trend in temperatures by Thursday, with a forecast high of 1 C. by Friday, something he described as "quite unusual for this time of year."
Kimball said mild conditions, in general, are expected for the first 10 days of the month.
Last week's 30-centimetre snowfall in the Thunder Bay region brought the December precipitation total right up to the long-term average for the month.
