Folks across the Prairies are in for Summer 2.0 for the first full week of autumn as temperatures soar in the days ahead.
Intense heat is relative by the end of September, of course. But the upcoming warmth will be so unusual that Monday’s afternoon highs will be our overnight lows by Thursday morning across portions of the region.
DON’T MISS: Fall’s here, but September heat keeps rising in this Canadian town
Heat rises Tuesday through Thursday
A ridge of high pressure will begin building over the western Prairies on Tuesday, continuing to expand through the day Wednesday as it reaches its peak strength over Saskatchewan.
Ridges aloft force air to sink and warm up as it descends toward the ground. This leads to above-seasonal temperatures for communities stuck beneath a ridge’s influence.
Things are going to get toasty on Tuesday as temperatures climb up to 10°C above seasonal across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Daytime highs in the upper 20s are likely as far north as Edmonton, with folks in Calgary, Saskatoon, and Regina all ditching the coats amid the unseasonably warm air.
We’re likely going to see 30-degree readings in spots throughout southern Alberta and Saskatchewan on Tuesday, extending east toward southern Manitoba by Wednesday.
Conditions really turn on their head by Wednesday as temperatures climb 10-15°C above seasonal for this point in September. The greatest anomalies will occur on Wednesday evening through the overnight hours.
How unusual are we talking? Take a look at The Pas, Manitoba, where the average high temperature this time of year is about 16°C. Wednesday night’s low temperature in The Pas will come in around 18°C—making for a low temperature that’s two degrees warmer than the average high.
The previous record-high minimum temperature in The Pas this late in the year was a balmy 13.5°C on the morning of September 25, 2014, so we’ll watch this reading closely for any potential records.
Forecasters will also monitor readings over in Winnipeg for record-warm nighttime low temperatures, as well. The record was 17.2°C back on October 2, 1897.