Similkameen Spotlight, March 25, 2015

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Police dog tracked down murder suspect page 3

SPOTLIGHT

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$1.10 Includes TAX

The Similkameen

Volume 65 Issue 12

Wednesday, March25, 2015

Proudly serving the community since 1948 • www.similkameenspotlight.com

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Princeton enjoys second warmest winter on record Andrea DeMeer Spotlight Staff

The first day of spring was officially Friday March 20th but according to Environment Canada, in Princeton BC, “it’s almost like winter was cancelled.” Princeton has just experienced its second warmest winter in 68 years, David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, told the Spotlight in a telephone interview from his office in Toronto. Princeton’s average daily temperature from December 1st to February 28th was two degrees higher than average, said Phillips, adding the warmest winter occurred in 1992 when temperatures were five degrees above the norm. The town also saw less snow this winter than expected, with a total accumulation of 110 centimeters compared to an average of 125. Phillips noted the area is experiencing “a fantastic” and unusually early spring. “It’s no wonder you people are sending us pictures of flowers,” he said. “Normal highs for now would be eleven degrees…by the end of this week you have temperatures of 19 and 20 with lots of BC sunshine.” Phillips noted Environment Canada measures shade temperatures so that in the sunshine “you can add another five or six degrees to that temperature and it’s going to feel summer-like.” While unable to officially declare winter chills a thing of the past, Phillips said for the most part spring here will continue to bloom. “Given the fact that there has really been

no winter to speak of…and the prospects of the next seven days are for temperatures that are clearly well above normal, every day it becomes more difficult for winter to make a comeback,” he said. “Our model suggests it’s more of the same. Sometimes what you see is what you get. There’s a certain thing in weather called persistence. It takes a lot of energy to turn weather around.” Princeton has experienced extreme wintery conditions during early spring in the past, said Phillips. For example on March 24, 1955 the town had 44 centimeters of snow on the ground and temperatures as low as -25. On April 12, 1968, Princeton had 11.4 centimeters of snow. While not crystal-balling a snowstorm in Princeton’s future, Phillips said a few flakes over the next month are very possible. “The past is a guide to the future…in the last 70 years in Princeton there’s only been seven Aprils without snow. My sense is I would bet a few loonies on the fact that in April you may see some white stuff,” he said. “It could be something like it snowed, whitened the ground and before you look it melted.” Phillips said the balmy winter and current favorable temperatures were caused by warm coastal air currents and were “no surprise” to experts. He concluded by qualifying any weather predictions. “You can never say never with weather, especially in Canada.”

Weather Watch Wednesday

High 12/ Low -4

Thursday

High15/Low1

Friday

High15/Low2

Saturday

High19/Low8

Sunday

High20/Low6

Andrea DeMeer

Environment Canada predicts that by this weekend, with temperatures reaching between 19 and 20 in the shade, it’s going to feel “summer-like” in places like the Princeton splash park. Cheyenne Lind, 8, Aniella Lind, 10 and Hannah McLean, 10 are ready for the water to be turned on.

FLETCHER Building Supplies

222 Burton Ave.,Princeton

Open @ 7am Mon-Fri, 8:30 am Sat, 9am Sun

250-295-6938

email: info@fletcherace.com

Hotdog Day Friday, April 3 10 am to 2 pm

* If you find an identical item advertised locally at a lower price, we will match it! * Item must be identical and in stock. No rain cheques.


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