For the first time in nearly two months, the mercury is expected to climb above the freezing mark today in Steinbach.

Environment Canada is calling for a high of +1 today in The Automobile City. The last time Steinbach enjoyed a day above freezing was back on December 15th, when it hit +.2 degrees. That was 53 days ago.

Meteorologist Kyle Fougere says typically Steinbach will have about two days in January where the temperature climbs above zero and so it is not terribly unusual to go through an entire month of January without reaching that mark. But he says what is unusual is the fact it did not happen in what ended up being a very mild month.

The mild weather we are experiencing today is the result of strong winds from the south. Environment Canada is calling for wind gusts of 50 kilometres per hour today. That, combined with snow in the forecast, could result in some less-than-ideal travel conditions. 

"There is definitely some potential for some lower visibility," warns Fougere. "So, if anyone has travel plans to definitely make sure you have an emergency kit in your car, should something happen. We always tell people to do that in the winter. But also, just to change your driving according to the conditions, especially in the southeast there."

Should we reach +1 today, that would still be a few degrees off the record high for February 6th in Steinbach. The record is 4.5 degrees set in 2002.

Fougere says the mild weather is expected to last all week. The normal high for this time of year is -8 degrees, with an overnight low of -18 degrees. Environment Canada is calling for daytime highs this week to range from +1 to -6 degrees, with overnight lows not expected to dip below -12 degrees.

Yet, even with this mild week, Fougere says they are still calling for the month of February to be colder than normal. 

Meanwhile, he says over the next little while, we should see a couple of little systems move through the area, producing brief shots of snow. However, he notes there are no major systems that they are currently tracking. 

"But it's definitely looking like we're entering a more active pattern over the next couple of weeks where a number of low-pressure systems are going to move across the prairies," he says. "It is looking like we are entering a bit of a stormier pattern."