Fall makes its arrival this week with some summery weather in tow, at least for now. That’s helpful, as goodbyes aren’t easy, especially when we bid farewell to the long, warm days of summer.
Luckily this year things are looking better for the autumnal season ahead, with warmer-than-normal temperatures, according to Dave Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
“It’s not like you’re going back to the dog days of summer – this is going to be a little warmer than normal,” he said this week.
Over the next few days the temperature will rise to a high of up to 25 degrees, without it cooling down anytime soon. “This coming week is clearly going to be a gift, people thought that summer is over well it’s going to return to summer-like weather.”
Last year we we’re cheated out of autumn, Phillips says, with only one of three months being fall and the rest being the early days of winter. There is no need to bring out winter jackets early this year, but that doesn’t mean frost might not appear on the pumpkins at some point. As for snow, Phillips says that it might fall sometime after Remembrance Day but that shouldn’t ruin the autumn period.
With more southerly air coming up this way through the region, the temperatures should be warmer and give us a full season of fall. That’s a psychological boost, making winter feel shorter, Phillips suggests.
While there are a few scattered leaves on the ground, the milder weather means trees are less stressed, in turn delaying when the leaves start to change colour.
“We’ve seen good air quality, good temperatures, and so trees haven’t lost their leaves ahead of time,” he said.
The rest of the month will continue to see temperatures hitting highs of 20 degrees, a benefit to farmers still dealing with crops delayed due to the wet spring. Specifically, Phillips points out that corn will be able to cure throughout the remainder of September and October due to the warmer weather.
Precipitation is much harder to predict, but it appears for the next few months there will be normal amounts. When the colour change does take hold, Phillips advises that people take advantage of the warmer days to get out for any sightseeing, as there’s no guarantee the nice weather will last.
“If you see a good period of weather, go for it.”
