Weekend Outlook: Drier falls, hotter temps: climate shift?

Recent memory (for me) suggests that Winter seems to hang on longer than usual into spring. However, warm, dry summers seem to blend into unusually warm and dry fall. Are we seeing a climate shift? Where the weather lags a month behind normal, the delay in fall colours might agree.

When fall arrives in Sault Ste. Marie, during September and October, the 30-year climate data suggests we typically count over 200mm of rainfall (and a bit of snow). However, the total rainfall this year in the last weeks has added up to under 20mm—less than 10% of normal values. That's a huge change.

September 2023 saw under 10mm of rain, with 80mm in October 2023, thanks to a wet final ten days of the month. I had to return to October 2020 to find a September or October that had over 100mm in either month. Otherwise, it's been four consecutive drier-than-normal starts to Fall in the Sault. Something's changed.

The dry weather continues into the weekend, with only a brief risk of an overnight shower. The heat continues to build and will flirt with all-time high records that have held on for over 60 years. Early next week is even warmer and will break record temperatures again.

Friday will be mostly sunny, with a southerly wind that helps push daytime highs to 18°C.

A few clouds could move in on Saturday, but temperatures continue to creep up and reach 19°C. A chance for a shower arrives near midnight.

Sunday will become sunny as daytime highs climb to 21°C. Record-breaking heat is expected on Monday as temperatures climb even higher.