Warmer temperatures on the way for Edmonton after 10-year record lows

WATCH ABOVE: Nicola Crosbie’s Monday forecast.

EDMONTON – This has been the coldest start to January in a 10 years. For the first 12 days of 2015, daytime highs peaked below the seasonal average mark of -8°C nine times. On four particularly frigid evenings, the mercury dipped to below -25° and even caused extreme cold warnings to be issued by Environment Canada.

However, Edmontonians now have reason to rejoice.

“On Tuesday, thermometers will be 20 degrees warmer than where they were at this time last week,” explained weather specialist Margeaux Morin.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "On Tuesday, thermometers will be 20 degrees warmer than where they were at this time last week," explained weather specialist Margeaux Morin.

We can thank changing air masses for the warm-up in western Canada.

“For much of January, the jet stream sat below our city ushering in cool air from the north, but the jet has repositioned allowing for a southerly flow to bring us warm pacific air. Anyone underneath that changing ridge in the jet stream will warm considerably, including central and southern Alberta.”

But hold off on the celebrations. First we have to deal with another freezing rain event, and more slick road surfaces.

“As a new low approaches from the west on Tuesday — when day time highs are forecast to reach +2° — its moisture is expected to fall as freezing rain,” Morin added.

“Ground surfaces won’t have had time to warm very much, and with overnight lows still below freezing, that rain will freeze on contact, or shortly after, creating an icy glaze.”

The best way to track locally hazardous driving conditions is from local viewer reports. If safe to do so, share your weather photos with us via the Global Edmonton Facebook and Twitter accounts. You can also post updates from your community using the hashtags #yegwx and #abstorm.

And to get your weather forecast on the go, download our Skytracker weather app.