Good weather coming for summer’s final weekend
By Jeremy Appel on September 1, 2018.
jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel Environment Canada’s senior meteorologist says the weather is looking “pretty good” for the final weekend of summer. The weekend will be fairly sunny, although there’s a 30 per cent chance of rain tomorrow, which Dave Phillips said isn’t significant. “I don’t even carry an umbrella for 30 per cent, so don’t fret about that,” he said. The overall temperature is about average for this time of year, Phillips said. Today’s temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, three degrees cooler than normal this time of year, but it will be quite sunny. “That warmth of the sunshine will make up for what the air actually feels like,” he said. The temperature is warming up Sunday at 24 degrees, but some “northerly air” will make it cooler on Labour Day. “It’s been a wonderful summer,” Phillips added. “You’ve had 38 days above 30. You normally would have 24 of those.” There was also a day where the temperature exceeded 40 degrees. “You go decades without seeing a temperature of 40 degrees,” he said. Although the daytime highs were greater than normal, the nighttime lows were less than normal, balancing out to an average summer. “What that demonstrates is a true dry desert climate,” Phillips said, adding that there was “very little precipitation” — 11 millimetres compared to an average of 34 mm. “Farmers could’ve used more rain,” he said. The wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta, particularly their increased frequency, is a result of climate change, he said. “The evidence seems to indicate clearly that we’re experiencing more extreme fire weather and that is connected to human components,” said Phillips. With regards to the weather, one has to look at larger patterns occurring over multiple years. “One year does not a trend make,” Phillips said. “We’re seeing a lot more high temperature records set than low temperatures and I think that’s really a mark of climate change.” The fall is shaping up to be warmer than usual. “Don’t fret,” said Phillips. “We think there’s summer left in the air.” 21
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