Keep parkas at the ready

People shopped at stores wearing parkas. The faithful attended church services wearing gloves and heavy coats. Tourists scattered like quail from campgrounds. Golfers fled for shelter when hail and snow made greens unplayable. Bonfires were built on beaches to avoid hypothermia, not for toasting marshmallows. Fishermen were assessing trap damage following gales and pounding waves.

Drivers were scraping ice from car windshields, hoping their summer bug wash would work on frost. Motorists wondered if they took winter tires off too early. Weekend barbecues were confined to garages as wind chills were too severe for decks and balconies. Gardeners looked on in despair as their bulbs and flowers were coated in white. It was a chaotic scene last Saturday and Sunday, which continued into mid-week across Atlantic Canada.

Was it still April, or perhaps early to mid-May, when the region usually deals with the nagging impacts of a lingering spring? No. It was early June, a month supposed to be busting out all over; when flowers are blooming and birds are singing.

And the cruel irony? It all happened a day after record-high temperatures. The heat set off a growth spurt with trees and crops. We thought this long, cold, wet spring was finally over. Nope. Miramichi, N.B., for example, went from breaking a 140-yearold record high last Friday of 32.7, to a 91-year-old record low on Sunday of –0.6.

Then a series of heavy frosts struck, devastating crops despite the frantic efforts by farmers. The worst hit areas were in Nova Scotia, especially the Annapolis Valley, where temperatures dropped to –4. Half the province’s wine grapes were destroyed. P.E.I.’s potato crop largely escaped, while impact on strawberry, blueberry and other crops is still being assessed. Many farmers haven’t seen such a devastating period in more than 40 years. It isn’t over. Frost occurred Wednesday and another frost warning was issued for Thursday night across much of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Other parts of Canada are enjoying seasonable temperatures. Our American neighbours enjoyed a record-breaking May in terms of temperatures. What is happening here? At least two significant snow events struck N.L. in recent weeks. If people thought the iceberg season was long last summer, just wait for this one.

Alas, we’ve been stuck in a rut with low pressure troughs entrenched from Hudson Bay toward Labrador. The key to the puzzle is a warmer ribbon of above normal sea temperatures which has surfaced south of the Maritimes. This anomaly needs another ingredient – an ample supply of cold air, and we have that aplenty. When cooler air pushes south to the Atlantic, then robust, chilly, low-pressure systems are created.

Meteorologists tell us we’re entering a colder phase along the Eastern Seaboard, because of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). Well, we’ve already seen enough of AMO. We’re not sure what it is but it sure sounds ominous.

The best advice for Atlantic Canadians this ‘Junember’ is don’t put the parkas at the back of the closet just yet.