Warmer than usual temperatures have left the Cariboo landscape looking anything but a winter wonderland.
Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says it is still a bit too far away to say for certain if there will be snow for the holidays.
“In this kind of fast-moving pattern, things can change fairly quickly but the chances for snow this year are lower than average,” he says.
“I know at the airport it’s almost 100 percent-it’s pretty high but downtown Williams Lake we don’t always have white Christmas so the likelihood is a little lower than average.”
Lundquist says the current milder temperatures fit with the patterns of El Nino.
“First of all, that deep freeze is so right on with what we expect for this winter. Usually, during El Nino winters it can start out cold in late fall or early winter so we’re already there so it makes sense. Then after that, we usually expect things to warm up and be mild after that.”
Cooler temperatures, near or even below seasonal averages according to Lundquist will return on Sunday and Monday.
Normal temperatures for this time of year are a day time high of -2 °C with a low of -10°C.