Double digit temps on the way for Cochrane

From record breaking cold temperatures to above seasonal daytime highs in less than two weeks. This is winter in Cochrane. 

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada we're expected to hit a high of 5° C on Tuesday, January 23, followed by more temperatures above zero all week long. 

Justin Shelley, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada says temperatures will likely be well above normal next week and into the start of February.  

"Certainly within the next couple of weeks we're looking at these positive daytime highs. This week, sort of in the mid single digits and by the weekend and into next week we're looking at high single digits, maybe cracking double digits at some point next week as well."

He says "For the last week to 10 days since that really cold snap, we've been hanging on to this surface ridge of high pressure off to the east and that has been more or less trapping this part of the province and then easterly flow at low levels and, with that wind direction you can't warm up quite as much as you can with a warm westerly wind and chinook winds that we get here."

"That surface ridge will move off to the east, allowing for westerly winds to develop along the Foothills and those warm temperatures to start streaming down the Rockies and into the Cochrane area." says Shelley. 

As far as moisture goes, Shelley says there's really not much for snow in the immediate forecast. 

It's not looking like too much is on the way. There's that slight risk of flurries this morning. But that's not looking like it's materializing too much. As we look into the extended forecast, generally in this pattern, we see some of that moisture stream into southern BC and sort of just stop at the Rocky Mountains. So we typically won't see much moisture in this sort of pattern here across the Rockies and into the Alberta foothills. So it's looking relatively dry for the foreseeable future in the Cochrane area."