Native Albertans, or anybody that's lived in the province for more than a couple of months, know that, at any time, winter can hit.

Other than the December snowstorm that dumped upwards of 30 cm of snow on Airdrie just prior to Christmas, we haven't experienced much winter so far but that is all about to change, according to Environment Canada Meteorologist Kyle Fougere. 

First, he tells us something we already know.  It's been really nice in Airdrie.

"We've had a warm start to the winter so far, especially this January.  In fact, there hasn't been a single day this January in Airdrie that hasn't been above normal and there were only eight days in December that were below normal."

Then, comes the bad news.  "Unfortunately, that is going to be coming to an end.  "We had a cold front sweep through the province last night that's going to start ushering in some cooler temperatures with it."

Fougere says we really shouldn't be surprised by the temperature change.  After all, he says, we are at the end of January.  

"A normal for this time of year is to have a daytime high of minus 5 and a low of minus 18 so significantly cooler than we've seen recently.  Starting tomorrow we're going to get back to temperatures that are more normal for this time of year."

He says highs of minus four to minus six are in store by the end of the week.  By the start of next week, it will be considerably colder with highs of minus 13 to minus 14 expected and cold overnight lows.

We can thank the polar vortex for the more normal winter temperatures.  Fougere explains.  "The polar vortex is this dome of cold air that sits high up in the stratosphere.  When we see warming in that it weakens our jet-stream.  If the jet-stream is strong it keeps all the cold air up in the north.  As the jet stream starts to weaken it can get wavier and it can bring that cold air down farther south."

That's the regime that Fougere expects us to be in next week as we return to colder temperatures for the rest of January and well into February.

"I think the best times are behind us when it comes to the warmth for the winter.  It looks like we're going to have this colder air around us."

Fougere says while he doesn't see much snow in the near future for our area, that could change as the arctic air begins to come down and we may start to see flurries with the snow likely sticking around."

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