Calgary's warm, record-breaking winter weather will be sticking around

Calgary's record-breaking warmth is set to continue over the holidays.

High temperatures and limited-stay precipitation have so far been the weather story of the winter months. And according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, that won't stop when the calendar turns.

"For the Calgary area and many other places in Alberta, we're looking at the warmest December on record so far," meteorologist Alysa Pederson told CTV News.

"There's still a week to go, but our mean temperatures are seven degrees above normal. And for January and February, it also looks to be above normal and drier than normal."

That's thanks to a relatively strong El Niño.

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Though freezing temperatures are set to return on this weekend after Friday's mild and sunny conditions, they likely won't stick around.

"Midweek next week, it looks to go right back to these eight to 12-degree temperatures again," Pederson said.

The weather has been great for most Calgarians looking to spend time outdoors over the holidays, but there are some caveats.

Cross-country ski trails and sledding hills have been caked in ice.

Doug Giles, who is a self-proclaimed community rink rat, says his Braeside ice has been brutal.

"Nobody wants 30 below, but we would really like minus five to minus 15," he said.

"The struggle is real if you look at the north end of our rink. We still need three to four inches and we should have had it weeks ago."