Steep temperature drop looms over the Prairies on Monday
Some communities will see temperatures drop nearly 20 degrees between Sunday and Monday
An impressive Prairie temperature swing is on the horizon as we’re looking at one of the warmest bursts of weather this late in the year in Canadian history.
Even more impressive will be the rate at which temperatures fall behind a cold front looming over the region to start the week, which will send readings into freefall toward a more fall-like vibe.
This late-season heat arrives on the Prairies hot on the heels of the northern hemisphere measuring its hottest-ever temperature for the final week of the month, with an astounding 48.5°C reading in Plutarco Elias Calles, Mexico.
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Sunday will feel like a sizzling summer day
The penultimate day of September will feel more like the middle of summer across a vast swath of the Prairies as a low-pressure system helps drag very warm air north of the border. This is the kind of setup you need to get summerlike temperatures across Canada this late in the year.
We’ll end the weekend with temperatures soaring up to 18 degrees above seasonal across southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba. Daytime high temperatures here will easily climb into the 30s across Regina and Brandon, with the mid-20s a good bet for folks in Saskatoon and Winnipeg.
What’s the record for late-season heat? The warmest Canadian temperature this late in the year goes to Medicine Hat, Alberta, which saw a high temperature of 33.9°C on both Sept. 29, 1967, and October 6, 1889.
The 34-degree temperatures may stop at the international border, but it’s going to be a close call. Forecasters will monitor readings through the day to see if anyone in Saskatchewan or Manitoba can break that record.
It’s worth noting that the placement of that low will rob some areas of the heat. If you’re reading this from Edmonton, you’re probably wondering what we’re talking about as temperatures there are about half of what they’ll be in parts of southern Saskatchewan.
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Temperatures flip to fall on Monday
The wind will take away what the wind gave.
Folks across Saskatchewan will wake up to a return to autumn on Monday as temperatures plummet behind a cold front sweeping through the region.
Daytime high temperatures will struggle to climb into the lower teens across the Prairies, with a brisk northwesterly winds of 40-70+ km/h making things feel even chillier compared to where we were on Sunday.
Regina’s high temperature will drop from 32°C on Sunday to just 13°C on Monday—an astounding 19-degree difference to start the week.
As the winds calm overnight Monday, gardeners across Alberta and Saskatchewan will have to watch for a risk of frost.
Warmth returns to the southern Prairies on Tuesday
Manitoba will hang on to another dose of the milder weather in the high teens to low 20s on Monday, but the temperature drop comes shortly after for the region on Tuesday, with daytime highs sitting around 14°C.
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Another cold front is expected mid-week, keeping widespread temperatures in the low teens.
A warmer pattern is then expected to return by the weekend, and into the second week of October, so no need to worry about free-fall into consistently cold weather just yet. The rest of October is forecast to have predominantly above-normal temperatures.
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Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates on the Prairies.
