It’s the last day of summer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean an end to the warm weather. In fact, Environment and Climate Change Canada is predicting a hotter than usual fall.
David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, says their fall outlook shows it is “going to be warmer than normal across the country.”
“I’m not going to say it’s going to be ‘hot-umn’ but it’s going to be warmer than normal,” he said in an interview with CTV News Channel. “We could still have frost on the pumpkin and we could still be shoveling snow before the fall is over.”
That being said, Phillips believes the beginning of fall will feel more like summer than winter. He’s also predicting good, outdoor weather for September and October.
“I wouldn’t write the last chapter on summer-like weather.”
And looking ahead to winter, Phillips believes this year’s cold season will be shorter than last.
His outlook is in contrast to the Farmers’ Almanac, which has forecast early snow and a long, harsh winter.
Farmers’ Almanac editor Peter Geiger told CTV New Channel in August that it’s going to be very, very cold. However, Phillips disagrees.
“They came up with this forecast a year ago,” he says. “I’m putting my money on a milder-than-normal winter.”
Environment Canada said every month from May onwards this year has been warmer than normal and could be one of the warmest summers in recent memory.
And summer is due to end with a blast, with storms on the west coast, snow on the Rockies and onto the prairies this weekend.
A “nasty bout” of weather is also set to hit Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.
