Ottawa weather: Things warming back up in capital region

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It was a cold morning in the National Capital Region — especially in Gatineau — but the worst of it appears to be over.

Temperatures are on the way back up after dropping to -20 C (felt like -27 with the wind chill) in Ottawa by 8 a.m. Wednesday. Meanwhile, across the river in Gatineau, Environment Canada said it hit -26 C (wind chill -28) at 7 a.m. and was well below -20 C through the night.

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A six-degree temperature difference registered in cities just a kilometre or two away from each other?

It’s not all that unusual, according to Environment Canada.

The weather agency says it happens in the area when a layer of cold, dense air sinks to the bottom of the Ottawa River Valley. Environment Canada measures the Gatineau temperatures low down, near river level, but Ottawa’s temperature is measured higher up, at the international airport.

Temperatures in low-lying parts of Ottawa along the river also tend to be colder, like Gatineau, in these conditions.

A skater tries to keep warm while skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa on Wednesday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

Regardless of which side of the Ottawa River you’re on, or whether you’re on high ground or low ground, you shouldn’t have to put on quite so many layers in the coming days.

The Ottawa forecast on Wednesday evening called for a high of -7C (low -13 C) Thursday, -9 (-15) Friday, -7 (-7) Saturday and -4 (-10) Sunday.

For Gatineau, the parallel numbers were -7 C (-15 C) Thursday, -10 (-15) Friday, -8 (-8) Saturday and -6 (-10) Sunday.

In both locations, Environment Canada called for flurries Thursday and a chance of flurries on the other days.

— With files from Tom Spears

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