Temperatures in some Dehcho communities briefly soared as high as 7C between Tuesday and Wednesday, nearly 30C above the average high for this time of year.
Nahanni Butte hit 7C late on Tuesday, Sambaa K’e reached 2C at the same time and Fort Liard had a temperature of 5C as of Wednesday afternoon according to data from local weather stations. A normal day might reach -19C.
The warmth came with windy conditions – the area is known for brief but warm Chinook winter winds – and the heat disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived. The temperature recorded in Nahanni Butte dropped from 5C to -10C in the space of an hour on Wednesday morning as the miniature heatwave subsided.
“Over the western part of the country, we’re under the influence of an upper ridge of high pressure, which allows for a warm air mass to be in place,” said Justin Shelley, a meteorologist at Environment Canada.
Shelley said that came coupled with a “favourable wind direction in the Fort Liard region specifically, too, which allows for a bit of a warming down slope winds off the terrain.”
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Fort Liard, which calls itself the “tropics of the North,” is known for occasional warm days in the depths of winter. During one remarkable period in 2014, the hamlet experienced eight January days above 5C.
However, the sudden onset of the warmth and its equally rapid retreat can complicate things for Dehcho residents.
Jessica Jumbo, a Sambaa K’e resident, is the Dehcho First Nations’ director of lands and resources.
She said this kind of weather can make life difficult for people out hunting and trapping.
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When snow begins to thaw before quickly freezing again, she said, a hard crust can form on top of the snow cover. That can change the behaviour of large game.
“If they’re walking in the hard crusted snow like that in the open, it does damage to their shins,” explained Jumbo.
To avoid that, the animals tend to stay in more heavily wooded areas, where they are less exposed and don’t have to move as much through the tough snow. That, in turn, makes them harder to hunt.
These fluctuations in temperature have “a major effect on everything, as an Indigenous person,” Jumbo said.
Though there are, of course, some upsides to the nearly-balmy weather.
“The kids really, really enjoy when it’s warm,” said Jumbo, “and it’s easier for parents to take out little ones.”
Fort Liard resident Roslyn Firth said she took her dogs out for a walk to enjoy the weather on Wednesday.
“It’s absolutely beautiful here,” said Firth. “The sun is shining brilliantly so it’s a very nice little reprieve from the winter.”
Firth is also the hamlet’s recreation and youth programs manager. She says she’s organizing a sledding party at the local hill for this upcoming weekend, and working to get the cross-country ski trails set up.
“It’ll be more fun for the kids being outside in these temperatures,” said Firth.
