Green Christmas caused by early January thaw: Environment Canada

The green Christmas experienced this year in Sault Ste. Marie has been due to warmer than normal temperatures being felt in communities across the province, says a spokesperson from Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Normal temperatures at this time of year for Sault Ste. Marie are about minus 5 degrees Celsius, versus the plus 5 degrees in the past few days, says Gerald Cheng, meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.

These kinds of mild temperatures are not unheard of this time of year, said Cheng. The so-called January thaw just came a little earlier.

“Last year Christmas was minus 4 or 5 degrees, but then we went up to 9 degrees on the 30th last year,” said Cheng. “We see big fluctuations of temperature in the winter time and that’s what we are seeing and unfortunately — or fortunately — these temperatures fell on Christmas.”

So far in December, Sault Ste. Marie has recorded 47.9mm of precipitation, much less than the average of 77.4mm.

“We are kind of shy of that right now, but Sault Ste. Marie is a very peculiar place because it’s right beside Lake Superior, so I hesitate to say we won’t make it when there’s four more days to go,” said Cheng.

Just because the Sault felt an early thaw, it doesn’t mean the temperatures won’t go down again and possibly thaw again later, he added.

“Don’t get used to these temperatures because nothing lasts forever in the world of weather,” said Cheng. “We can still go back down and then thaw again, that’s Canada with these battles of air masses.”

For a return of the white stuff, Cheng said there would need to be lower temperatures, as well as conditions for either lake effect snow or a large weather system passing over the area. He doesn’t see either in the near future. 

Cheng said there will be a return to temperatures in the minuses starting Saturday.