The Island won’t get a break from the cold weather heading into 2018.
While there won’t be much in terms of snowfall, the temperature for the weekend celebrations will have daytime highs around -10 C and lows into the minus teens.
Windchill will be a factor as well, where the temperatures will hit the mid-minus 20s on Sunday and will feel as cold as -30 C for New Year’s Day, with gusts of wind around 60 km/h.
Environment Canada meteorologist Linda Libby said P.E.I. is experiencing colder than normal temperatures for late December, based on high and low averages over the past 30 years.
Typical highs for this time of year are -2 C and lows are typically around -11 C, she said.
“We’re running somewhere about 8 degrees (Celsius) colder than normal for highs and about 4 to 5 degrees (Celsius) colder for lows.”
As for snowfall, Libby said the Island will see flurries from time to time, which may pick up a bit on Sunday into Monday as there are a couple of low pressure systems sneaking south of Nova Scotia and heading towards Newfoundland. But these will only amount to one or two centimetres.
“(P.E.I.) may see a little bit of strengthening of the wind and will make it feel a little colder than the actual physical temperature. That may give us a centimetre or to as it goes past here,” she said. “Unfortunately, we’re kind of stuck in this weather pattern with colder than normal temperatures.”
While it’s still too early to know for sure, Libby said mid-to-late next week the Island might see a bit of warming as a storm comes by, but she said it’s too early to talk about that in detail.
“But it should bring some warming for maybe 18 to 24 hours, and then, unfortunately, we’re going to cool off again,” she said, adding it won’t be until the week of Jan. 8 where there will be a bit more warming.
“Of course, that can change. But it looks like it will be that long before we really do see any warming up in this part of Canada.”
The cold weather has cancelled the city’s New Year’s Eve party, but the Island Storm has stepped up to hold a celebration.
The Storm has partnered with the city to host a family tailgate party before the team’s New Year’s Eve matinee game on Sunday.
The festivities will include bouncy castles, and Storm players and staff will be serving free hot dogs in the trade centre building connected to the Eastlink Centre.
Anyone who buys an adult or senior ticket for that day’s came can get a free youth ticket.
Here are the holiday weekend opening hours for some grocery stores, pharmacies and malls:
Superstore (all): Dec. 31, 12-6 p.m., Jan. 1 - closed
Sobeys (all): Dec. 31, 12-6 p.m., Jan. 1 - closed
Foodland: Charlottetown - Dec. 31, 12-5 p.m., Jan. 1 - closed; Bloomfield - Dec. 31, 12-5 p.m., Jan. 1 - closed; Summerside - Dec. 31, 12-6 p.m., Jan. 1 - closed.
Co-op: Morell - Dec. 31, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Jan. 1 - closed; Souris - Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Jan. 1 - closed; Wellington - Dec. 31, 12-5 p.m.; Jan. 1 - closed; O’Leary - Dec. 31, 12-4 p.m.; Jan. 1 - closed; Tignish - Dec. 31, 12-5 p.m.; Jan. 1 - closed
Shoppers: University Avenue - Dec. 31, 8 a.m. to midnight; Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; West Royalty - Dec. 31, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Confederation Court Mall - Dec. 31, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Summerside - Dec. 31, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Charlottetown Mall - Dec. 31, 12-5 p.m.; Jan. 1 - closed
Confederation Court Mall: Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 - closed
Walmart: Charlottetown – Dec. 31, 12-6 p.m.; Jan. 1 - closed; Summerside – Dec. 31, 12-6 p.m.; Jan. 1 - closed
Murphy’s Pharmacies: Parkdale - Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Jan.1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Stratford – Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Jan. 1, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Cornwall - Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Jan. 1, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; West Royalty - Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Jan. 1,12-5 p.m.; East Royalty - Dec. 31, 1-5 p.m.; Jan. 1, 1-5 p.m.; Queen Street - Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Jan. 1, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Morell - Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 - closed; Kensington - Dec. 31, 1-5 p.m.; Jan. 1, 1-5 p.m.; Rustico - Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 - closed; Summerside - Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 - closed; Tyne Valley - Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 - closed; Wellington - Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 - closed; Central Street - Dec. 31, 12-5 p.m.; Jan. 1, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Valley Pharmacy – Dec. 31, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Jan. 1, 12-5 p.m.
