Warm holiday weather brings ice skating woes, hot grills

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This article was published 19/12/2023 (689 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With the possibility of a brown Christmas looming, some are finding unique ways to enjoy the holidays — and associated meal prep — outdoors.

The lengthy run of unseasonably warm weather has Evan Fogg, co-owner of Luxe Barbeque Co. in Winnipeg, feeling sunny.

Sales of barbecue essentials for turkey and ham, including spice rubs and charcoal for grills, have spiked over the past few weeks, with many encouraged by the mild temperatures to get out and grill, he said.

“You always get your sort of die-hard grillers that go 12 months a year, but we’re definitely getting more of just the average griller… that’s coming in still looking for stuff, because they feel like they can still get outside and cook with no issues,” Fogg said Tuesday.

Temperatures in the Manitoba capital have steadily remained above seasonal averages in December. The 30-year average for this time of year is a high of around -11 C and overnight lows around -21 C.

Winnipeg is expected to hit 0 C on Thursday, and as high as 5 C on Saturday. Christmas Day will be a little chillier, with a forecast of -7 C, but still warmer than average.

All of Western Canada is experiencing a warm streak, caused by the El Niño phenomenon, which marks a change in ocean surface temperatures that can result in weather changes across the Pacific Ocean and below-average precipitation.

“For the most part, we’re not expecting any kind of precipitation towards Christmas Day or Boxing Day or anything to that effect. Although, as we go further out in time, that kind of gets a little bit more unclear, just because there’s so many things that can change over a couple of days, with respect to what the weather models are seeing,” Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang said.

“But for now, it’s looking like it’ll continue warm and dry until after Christmas.”

Environment Canada has a strict definition of what constitutes a “white Christmas”: two centimetres or more of snow on the ground.

Historically, Winnipeg’s chances of having a white Christmas are about 99 per cent, Lang said, based on statistics going back to 1955.

“I wouldn’t say it’s totally up in the air. The chances are quite good that we’re going to have a brown Christmas,” she said. “(But) I’m not guaranteeing it.”

One weather record was broken Dec. 7, when temperatures hit 8.6 C at the Winnipeg airport, topping 5.6 C in 1923.

If Saturday reaches its forecast 5 C, it will break the 3.9 C record set in 1963.

While it’s fun for some, the balmy weather has left the Winnipeg community centres that operate hockey rinks in limbo. Some flooded their ice surfaces in November, and are now struggling to keep them in use. Others have held off on the process entirely.

“It’s going to put a damper on keeping those rinks operational. Some committee centres haven’t even started flooding for the reason that temperatures keep varying and they’re worried about the cost of and waste of water,” said Lora Meseman, executive director of the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres.

While most community centre rinks typically don’t open until late December, recent weather will likely delay that process.

“It means that families, kids, especially over the holidays, aren’t going to have somewhere to go and hang out and go skating,” Meseman said. “And over the Christmas holidays, for families in the community, that’ll be a challenge.

“I think this is very unusual. We’ve definitely had warm weather in the past, but this particular year (has) been nuts.”

Meantime, there is a segment of the population eyeing that covered barbecue in their yard.

Fogg’s planning a traditional Christmas dinner, including a turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, but all on a smoker and a grill.

“I think, as Winnipeggers, we’re sort of always waiting for the ball to drop. You know, it’s nice out right now and everybody’s sort of like, ‘Next week, it’s probably going to be -40 C,’ and everybody’s waiting for that,” he said.

“But I think the nice thing is, while everybody’s waiting for that, they are taking advantage of being outside — and they are cooking.”

malak@freepress.mb.ca