(Montreal) Summer in Quebec was marked by climatic disruptions, but autumn promises to be rather dry, with temperatures slightly below seasonal norms. In the Maritimes, storms should be monitored, while in the West, the lack of precipitation could lead to persistent wildfires.
Posted at 6:21 am
Stéphane Blais The Canadian Press
After a season marked by wildfires, floods, tornado warnings and late heat waves, the weather forecast is favorable for an autumn without major upheaval, at least in Quebec and Ontario.
According to Météomédia forecasts, temperatures will be close to normal or slightly below normal in these two provinces in the coming weeks.
A foretaste of winter
Blasts of fresh air from October could give the impression of early winter.
“We will have a rather mild, rather pleasant month of September, but mid-season, somewhere in October, we should have some significant bursts of fresh air that will last for several weeks and make us feel like we are in winter,” but “ “We expect the pendulum to swing back with temperatures above normal in November and early December,” explained André Monette, head of the meteorology department at Météomédia.
A dry autumn
According to Météomédia, precipitation and the number of storms are expected to be below normal and Quebec and Ontario will experience a rather dry autumn.
“We are forecasting a precipitation deficit for regions further north, but for the St. Lawrence Valley we are forecasting more normal precipitation and probably fewer fall storms, but if there are any, they could be stronger.” »
Large storms like the one that brought strong winds in some areas on Halloween last year could occur due to “large systems that could have significant impacts,” the meteorologist said.
“We are forecasting a lot of mildness across the western part of the country and the southern United States, which could result in a large temperature difference between the cold in Hudson Bay and the heat in the southern United States. “The greater this contrast, the more violent the storms can be,” explains André Monette.
Météomédia has not yet commented on the winter season, but “the start of winter is likely to be mild,” emphasized the meteorologist.
A hurricane season to watch in the Maritimes
According to Météomedia, the Maritimes are expected to reach more normal temperatures in the fall, while the warmth of the Atlantic Ocean is favoring mild weather for Nova Scotia and the Avalon Peninsula.
However, the unusually warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean can also intensify storms and hurricanes, which should be monitored until the second half of October.
Additionally, Environment Canada is closely monitoring when Tropical Storm Lee is expected to turn northwest and expects it to impact the region through the weekend.
A rainfall deficit that can promote fires in the West
Temperatures above seasonal norms are expected in the western provinces, particularly due to El Niño.
According to André Monette, “the risk of drought and fires must be closely monitored in the first half of the season, as rainfall will be close to normal or below normal in much of the area.”