Calgarians take advantage of warmer New Year’s Day conditions following deep freeze

Calgarians are embracing a much-welcomed reprieve of warmer temperatures after two weeks of frigid temperatures.

Hundreds of people flocked to Bowness Park Saturday to ring in the New Year with family members and friends outdoors.

Jenine Angell was amongst several skaters on the lagoon in northwest Calgary.

“It’s so wonderful, it's nice just to get a break from the cold,” she said.

“We’ve all been hunkering down, a lot of us just have been working from home, so it’s beautiful to get outside and enjoy seeing people and smiling faces.”

Among those smiling Saturday was Nathalie Tacail, who enjoyed a game of crokicurl on the ice with her family.

“It’s not nice being cooped up in the house so it’s nice to get a breath of fresh air for the kids and for us, it does a world of good for sure.”

The high of -7 C Saturday also made for perfect conditions for those who enjoy exercising outdoors.

Heather Clitheroe has been running outdoors in extreme cold temperatures in an effort to train for a marathon this spring.

The cold never stopped her from getting in a workout, but she’s grateful that these conditions are more bearable, if only for a couple of days.

“There’s not so much frost building up right now, you get a lot of frost around your scarf and your hat so my eyes aren’t freezing shut, my nose is warm, so this is gorgeous New Year’s weather.”

Calgary’s toboggan hills were also busy with children finally able to spend more than a few minutes outdoors to enjoy the fresh snow.

Six-year-old Martin Siu was one of the first sledders at the St. Andrew’s Heights hill on New Year’s Day.

“It’s so fun sliding down and turning round and round,” he said.

“It was so fast and there were lots of bumps!”

Dominic Cuthbertson was also excited to take in the hills with his kids and to try out brand-new sleds he purchased for Christmas.

“It’s so good to get a break from the cold-snap and get out with the kids.”

The warm weather was also a huge break for furry friends who regularly need to go outside.

Douglas Smith and his dog, Noah, were out early Saturday morning for a much longer walk than they’ve been used to for the last couple of weeks.

“It’s a lot nicer now, and more enjoyable with my dog,” he said.

“Tomorrow I hope it will be a bit better so it’s beautiful to see the bright sun here in Calgary, there’s nothing better than that.”

The warmer temperatures are here to stay for the weekend according to CTV Calgary meteorologist Kevin Stanfield, but the cold weather is expected to return on Monday.