‘Really lovely weather’ in store for fall
Mother Nature should provide plenty of opportunities for those who enjoy taking in the fall colours this upcoming season, says a meteorologist with the Weather Network.
“We’ll be able to take advantage of some really nice weather for doing those sort of activities,” said Nadine Powell.
“I think that everyone will be happy, for the most part, with what fall has in store for us.”
The Weather Network released its fall forecast on Wednesday, forecasting for the months of September, October and November.
Powell said Niagara should experience close to seasonal temperatures this fall, while models are showing precipitation levels should be on par with the norm.
“Things look to be on schedule for us with some really lovely weather for getting out, and enjoying the great outdoors over the next few weeks.”
She said it can be difficult to predict the weather for transitional seasons such as fall, where the average temperature can significantly change from one week to the next.
“Because we’re transitioning from one extreme, which is summer, to the other extreme, which is winter, temperatures can really drop off significantly. We take it month by month.”
Powell said Niagara can expect temperatures to hover around just above 20C as an average high.
“If we’re saying that we’re going to be seasonal, at least heading into the middle of October, then we do anticipate that over the next couple of weeks, for the end of September, we should be around that 22 degree (mark), in terms of a day-time high,” she said.
“As we head into October, especially for the first two-to-three weeks, highs would be anywhere in that range of about 15, 16 degrees, so the next little while, anywhere between 150 to 20, 21, 22 degrees, that’s what we anticipate in terms of a high. That’s not to say that we won’t get one or two days that may be just below that, but the overall is that most of the days heading through the next few weeks into the middle of October should be seasonably warm.”
Powell said it’s likely more people will enjoy this fall than they did this summer, which in some areas broke rainfall records.
But the amount of rain, she said, varied.
Powell said while in some instances the Ottawa valley, Hamilton and Niagara exceeded average rainfall numbers, other areas, such as Toronto proper, Milton and Oakville, rainfall values came out “more or less seasonal.”
“This is always the trick with precipitation. It tends to be hit and miss, depending on where those storms line up,” said Powell.
“But I think most people would agree that the province as a whole, or at least southern Ontario, some areas really did exceed in precipitation, and for us in Niagara, we got a good dose of rainfall.”