temperatures as low as -30 are expected this coming weekend.

By Tommy Osborne

Cold Weather

Frigid, snowy days on the way for Prince George

Jan 29, 2025 | 6:00 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Prince George and much of Northern B.C. has enjoyed a warmer than usual winter, with January being noticeably warmer than usual. While the last week has seen many days around the 0°C mark or higher, February will begin with a blast of frigid air dropping us at or below -30°C.

“We’ve got an Arctic ridge descending from the Yukon, and that’s going to bring much colder temperatures than normal to the central interior. (…) We’re heading into a fairly major shift in the weather pattern with this Arctic ridge descending, and that cold air truly penetrating the province of B.C. this time and spreading those -30°s into the central interior,” explained Warning Preparedness Meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada Lisa Erven.

Erven expects this to last around a week, with the temperature change occurring on the night of January 31. Coinciding with the temperature drop is a high chance of large amounts of snowfall, although Erven says this is actually coming from a different system unrelated to the system coming from the Arctic.

“We are expecting snowfall amounts anywhere from about 10 to 15cm, so stay tuned to your alerts. I wouldn’t be surprised to see snowfall warnings issued over the next couple of days for many parts of the interior,” Erven said.

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The extreme cold is expected to spike energy bills, but Fortis BC’s Corporate Communications Manager Nicole Brown says there are several ways to save a couple of dollars. Short term, things like lowering your heat if no one is home, or only heating areas people are in, could help, but Brown says longterm the best approach would be to make sure your windows, doors, and potential gaps are properly sealed.

“A lot of the homes were built before the B.C. building code had an energy efficiency standard in it, which could mean that there’s some some leaks and gaps that are leaking heat,” she explained.

Brown added Fortis offers a 12 month equal payment plan to avoid payment spikes like what may be expected when intense cold comes in. While Brown admits you may end up paying slightly more in the summer months with low usage, she says in the longrun it can help save money and avoid any stress from payment spikes. She added she personally uses this equal payment plan, and believes it to be a great option, as it keeps things consistent and with the historical averages.

“They (Fortis) will do a calculation that calculates, on average, what that (cost) would be, and it just distributes it more evenly throughout the year. So I’m not suddenly getting a high bill and then a low bill, it’s a steady, consistent, predictable amount each month.”

If you’re hoping to save energy and money in other ways, Brown adds you can get free energy saving kits from Fortis, as well as engage in several programs to improve the overall efficiency of your home.

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