January thaw delivers mild air across Southern Ontario

We are well into winter but it definitely didn’t feel like it if you were outside today.

Temperatures got above 13 degrees celsius throughout our region, however the warmth did bring some wind and rain.

Weather experts say a little bit of warmer weather is common this time of year – however, today actually set a record.

Although it was windy and a little rainy at times, people were out soaking up the warmth.

“I mean, it’s pretty awesome. My kilometres have gone way down in the past few weeks just because it has been so cold. I feel great right now. I mean, I think it would be a little chilly if you were walking, but because I’m running it’s not bad,” said one local resident out for a run.

David Phillips, a climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says this warmth is all part of the proverbial January thaw.

“I looked at the records that go back to 1866 in Hamilton and I have never seen a temperature higher than – before – 13.2. You got 13.4 at 2 p.m. And actually, I think in St. Catharines it was up to 16 degrees,” said Phillips.

Phillips says there’s a simple explanation for the change in temperature.

“It is warm Gulf of Mexico air. A Colorado low is just pushing right through the province,” said Phillips.

Now while many are welcoming this warmer weather, it does have its disadvantages too – like the potential for flooding and the hindering of some classic winter activities.

Ross Firmin’s backyard ice rink is suffering from the warmth, but he does plan to have it back up and running soon when the weather allows it.

“With the plastic underneath it I can start to throw water on it. I don’t necessarily need the snow, but the snow is good to help build little snowbanks for them,” said Firmin.

Firmin’s rink will be back because we’re not even halfway through winter. The cold will return.

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