Summer made its official arrival this week in the midst of a mixed bag where the weather is concerned, and it appears we can expect more of that throughout the season.
Depending on your preferences, the weather has been in turns too hot, too cold, too wet and too dry. Well, maybe not the latter. We certainly had more than the average amount of rainfall this spring, and the immediate forecast sees a good chance of yet more.
Expect the unexpected this summer, suggests weather guru David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada. A warm, yet turbulent, summer is the likely outcome this year.
“What we’ve seen in southern Ontario in your area is no different than what we’ve seen from Windsor to Ottawa,” said Phillips. “We’ve been well watered. It’s been a spring that has been certainly a little cooler than what we normally have seen, but truly wetter.”
There might have been a bit too much rain so far, and not enough sunshine for crops in the area, said Phillips, but we’re not in deep waters just yet.
“My gosh, we have a lot of time to correct that situation. In fact, I think farmers may benefit from precipitation, they’re well ahead of the game.”
It will be a warm summer, but it’s also unlikely we’ll be getting that same consistent level of heat as in 2016, and we’re bound to see more of the up-and-down type weather that we have been getting in the last month.
“Last year, I don’t think people really appreciated how summer-like it was,” he said. “I think what’s different about this year so far, you get the one day above 30 but you can’t sustain it.”
So cooler days are ahead, and you can expect more of the same at least until July.
“I don’ think we’re going to see a repeat of last year, so it may be that we see a warm July, but a so-so August or vice-versa. so I don’t think it’ll be consistently that way, but I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.”
Phillips thinks this summer, “there may be something for everybody.”
“My sense is, ‘don’t leave home without the weather word,’ enjoy the summer. I think there’ll be moments where it’ll be gorgeous and very likable, but if we get a little bit more variety, which we didn’t have last year. I think in the long run it’s the best for the most.”
We’ll be able to enjoy most of our summer days, so long as we keep an eye on the sky.
“We’re in an area where there is some active weather. I mean, it’s just very much a part of the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer,” said Phillips.
