Warmest February since 2006 in Mackenzie Delta communities

While most of Canada has been experiencing a colder winter, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk have had their warmest February since 2006.

It went up as high as 1 Cthis past Monday.

"That's basically the result of what we call a blocking pattern," said Kyle Fougre, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"That meansthat the jet stream isn't moving very much and it's coming from west of Alaska upand right now Inuvik is staying on the warm side of it."

Fougre saidthe combination ofthe blocking pattern and the jet streamstaying in one placeis affecting multiple regions in different ways.

"This is what led to the anomalous warmth in the Mackenzie Delta and the anomalous cold across the prairies."

Fougre said the blocking pattern has been in place for the most of Februaryand the secondweek of the month in particular was very warm.

Usually the average temperature in Inuvik this time of year is 26.3 C, whereas this year so far it's 16.5 C, which is about 10 degrees warmer than normal.

He saidit was aboutfive degrees warmer than the average in both December and January as well.

Tuktoyaktuk tends to be colder, but they've been seeing an average this month of 19.7 C about seven degrees warmer than its average of 26.9 C.

However, Dawson City, Yukon, is actually experiencing temperatures two degrees colder than normal and most other communities in the N.W.T. are relatively close to their average, or colder.

Fougre said people shouldn't get their hopes up thattemperatures will continue to rise this winter.

He said the forecast is looking colder for the next few days and "temperatures will trend downwards to more normal temperatures for this time of year by mid-March."