There鈥檚 been plenty of talk about Jasper鈥檚 unseasonably warm weather: the spring-like temperatures and the resulting melting snow and rain showers.
But, is it really all that unseasonable?
A quick look at the park鈥檚 climate history suggests that there鈥檚 actually nothing unseasonable about our recent warm snap. In fact, these temperatures are well within the norm.
If you go back 10 years to 2005, the average temperature for January was -3.9潞C and the month鈥檚 warmest day was 12.5潞C.
Looking at 2006, the results are fairly similar, with Jan. 24 coming in at 12潞C and the average temperature ringing in at 3潞C.
In 2007, January saw 12 days above zero and reached a balmy 14潞C.
Even if you go back 20 years the results are the same; 30 years, too.
So, it seems, despite our memories of frigid Januarys, full of long johns, woolies and frozen eyelashes, this January鈥檚 weather, which has us at an average temperature of 0.2潞C, is nothing new or unusual.
Aside from some additional rain showers, wiping out our snowpack and leaving us with ice rinks on our sidewalks and streets, it鈥檚 basically business as usual for Mother Nature.
Now, of course, for many of us, business as usual is ruining our party. The snow in the valley is virtually gone and avalanche danger is 鈥渉igh鈥� in the alpine. So, winter recreationalists are left cursing the heavens and obsessively practicing their snow dance鈥攁 dance that gets more frantic by the day.
But, before you pull a muscle or tear a ligament鈥攃ompletely ruining your ski season鈥攍isten up.
Looking at Jasper鈥檚 historical data, it appears rain isn鈥檛 the norm in February鈥攊n fact, the norm is snow.
So keep your ski boots handy and keep on dancing鈥攁lbeit, not too furiously鈥攂ecause, if things remain seasonable, we鈥檙e in for some fresh tracks.
