CHANGING SEASONS
Expect autumn to linger
SASKATOON Saskatchewan residents will see a steady transition into the cold season, according to The Weather Network.
Its meteorologists predict that while the province will welcome autumn a little early, winter’s arrival will be slow.
“Certainly, right now you guys are experiencing quite a stark contrast to what it’s been like,” meteorologist Brad Rousseau said on Monday.
He noted while there has been an early start to the fall in Saskatchewan with temperatures lower than normal, it won’t last.
The network predicts some warmer days by the middle of October.
“The patterns are actually set to change,” Rousseau said. “So instead of being stuck in this ... really cold seasonal pattern, you actually trend to slightly above seasonal.”
In Saskatoon this week, daytime highs are expected to hover between 6 C and 11 C, with a chance of snow or rain later in the week.
In Regina, daytime highs are forecast to hit between 8 C and 14 C, with the possibility of rain Monday or Tuesday.
Rousseau noted that while the fall should be mild, the cold weather is on its way. Seasonal average temperatures drop two degrees every two weeks.
“Essentially, October is going to trend milder than normal. It’s still going to be cooler than what it is when compared to September,” he said.
“But overall, the seasonal feel will be a little milder.”
He added: “We’re not rushing into winter.”
Last fall, Saskatchewan trended roughly two degrees above seasonal, but when November hit, temperatures dropped three degrees below the seasonal average.
“In terms of this fall, we don’t expect that to happen. We actually expect the reverse to happen where as you head into October, November, you’ll see temperatures climb slightly above the seasonal mark,” Rousseau said.
Forecasts also predict drier than normal conditions across southern Alberta, and near to slightly below normal precipitation elsewhere in the prairies.
Even as the mercury continues to drop, Rousseau said the preliminary forecast for winter in Saskatchewan is “near normal,” but with an El Niño system expected to form, it’s likely the winter season will be drier than normal.