The first day of fall is September 22, when sunlight and darkness each share half the day. From back-to-school to pumpkin-spiced-everything to hayrides to haunted houses and the magnificent leaves that change colours, there is so much to love about autumn. Here’s Harrowsmith‘s expert weather outlook so you can prepare for the days ahead.
ATLANTIC PROVINCES, Region 1
The autumn season should be wetter than normal, aided by direct or indirect impacts of some tropical systems from late September into October. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland should be the wettest locations, while New Brunswick should be a little closer to normal. Temperatures should be milder than normal throughout the period.
QUEBEC, Region 2
Autumn should have a warm beginning but then should become seasonable mid-season. November should bring colder-than-average temperatures mid-month. Precipitation levels will be slightly above average, and we should see accumulating snow as early as the middle of November down into southern Quebec.
ONTARIO, Region 3
The first half of the season will have above-normal temperatures; the second half will have seasonable temperatures. The entire season will be rather unsettled and stormy, especially in October and November, when some storms could produce damaging winds, particularly in the west.
THE PRAIRIES, Region 4
September and October should be cooler than normal. November should be closer to the average. Precipitation levels will likely run above normal toward the east and below normal farther west.
BRITISH COLUMBIA, Region 5
Expect temperatures slightly below normal, despite a mild period in mid-November. Precipitation levels should be normal inland and above normal along the southwestern coast.
YUKON & WESTERN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, Region 6
Expect temperatures to run slightly below normal, even though there will be a couple
of warm spells in October and November. Several chances for heavy snow during late autumn will bring precipitation levels slightly above normal.
EASTERN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES & NUNAVUT, Region 7
Throughout the season, temperatures should fluctuate from warmer than normal to colder than normal. Precipitation levels should range between normal and slightly below normal. The season should be remembered for being very changeable.
Mark Sirois is a managing partner at Kyndryl by day and a long-range meteorologist whenever he can fit it in his free time. His passion for meteorology started at age 15, and for the last 35 years, he has developed a multifaceted approach to long-range forecasting. His frustrations with the way Canadian mainstream media broadcasts weather information led him to create an alternative option to those in southern Quebec. Since 2007, he has offered severe and long-range forecasts through the Southern Quebec Severe Weather Network on Facebook; but since 2022, he now provides daily, weekly and seasonal forecasts for Quebec as The Weather Whisperer via patreon.com/TheWeatherWhisperer.
