The temperature Saturday and Sunday in Sarnia was in record high territory.
On Saturday, the mercury climbed to 12 C (54 F) at 1pm at Chris Hadfield Airport, unofficially breaking the previous high for December 12 of 11 C set in 1979 and again in 1991.
Then on Sunday, the temperatures rose again to 15 C (59 F) at 3pm at Chris Hadfield Airport. This unofficially surpassed the previous December 13 record of 13.6 C (56.5 F), which was set in 1991.
Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson says longer term forecasts call for a milder than usual winter season and a green Christmas is a good possibility.
“The trend that we’re seeing for the rest of the month of December to be warmer than normal is expected to continue, at least for the first half of January as well,” he says. “That doesn’t mean we won’t see a few cold days here and there, won’t mean we won’t get some snowfall as we move into the month of January, but again, that overall trend at this point and time is to be somewhat milder than normal.”
Coulson says the unseasonably mild temperatures are due, in part, to a strong El Nino event causing warmer than normal waters in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America.
(With files from Stephanie Chaves)
