Portage la Prairie just had its warmest January based on average temperatures since 2012, Environment Canada says.

The average temperature for January was -11.2 C, over one degree warmer than the 2016 average of -12.7 C and more than four degrees warmer than the historical average of -15.4 C for the month. The last time Portage had a warmer January, in 2012, the average temperature was -9.2 C.

"January started out pretty cold for Portage, then about half-way through everything switched up," says Environment Canada meteorologist John Paul Cragg. "It was really warm for the last half of the month with temperatures above zero quite often."

"This came on the heels of a December that was right around average for this time of year," Cragg continues, noting the average temperature for the final month of 2016 was -12.6 C.

Cragg adds, despite having eight days throughout January in the Portage area where daytime highs eclipsed the 0 C mark, no temperature records were broken. The highest mark reached on the thermometer was 4.6 C.