Snow is not yet in Red Deer’s rear-view mirror.
“While the days are getting longer and the sun is warmer, you are actually entering your snowiest month of the year, historically. This year will deliver at least a normal amount, but you’ll probably end up with above normal,” said meteorologist Doug Gillham, with The Weather Network.
Red Deer receives an average of 20 centimetres of snow in March. This week, one to three centimetres of snow is forecast for Friday, followed by five to 10 centimetres on Saturday. More snow could fall about a week later.
Gillham said Red Deer is snowy because it is still cold enough and there’s more moisture in the air. If it had not been a leap year, the snow that fell on Saturday would have be included in the March tally, he noted.
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The snowiest March on record happened in 1927, with 61.6 centimetres. The March with the least snow was in 1992, when the city received only one centimetre.
The average snowfall in April is 14 centimetres, and 8.5 centimetres in May.
Gillham said the normal high in March is 2.2 C, but this month will be a little cooler. The temperature is forecast to drop to -13 C on Saturday and -11 C on Sunday.
“This week is a milder week. Temperatures will tip to the cool side of normal for the rest of March as a whole. It is a slow start to spring.”
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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