The Foothills has been experiencing above normal temperatures over the past week but it still hasn't been as nice as last year's warmer El Nino temperatures.

Instead, Environment Canada meteorologist Kirk Torneby says we'll see a return to more normal temperatures. He says that normally in April we should start seeing a more steady return to double-digit daytime highs.

"What it's looking like is that things are slipping back into a more normal Alberta pattern for the spring," Torneby says. "So looking ahead at the seasonal outlook, it really doesn't show a whole heck of a lot, it shows near normal conditions for most areas across the prairies, with not a lot of confidence though."

He says long range precipitation levels can be tough to predict. That's because those levels are affected by localized precipitation events, such as thunderstorms, which long range models can't always capture.

Torneby says although there's a weak signal of increased precipitation across Alberta this spring, this doesn't seem to extend to an area along the Foothills, which includes Okotoks.

There's no doubt that spring weather in the Foothills can be a mixed bag. But although we can often expect to see our heaviest snowfalls over the next three months, the higher temperatures should help make short work of it.

"We're not usually out of the woods yet," Torneby says. "Especially through March and April into May there's always these surprise events which seem to catch us off guard even though they are fairly routine."

Questions, comments, or story ideas? email us at news@okotoksonline.com