After a cold finish to May, temperatures will warm up in the Maritimes

A woman shields herself from the sun with an umbrella on the Halifax waterfront in Halifax on Thursday, July 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

May’s weather extremes and national temperature swings

The end of May brought decidedly cold conditions to the Maritimes, including a rare snowfall in Cape Breton and frost advisories. Despite the cold final week, the Maritime provinces finished May close to their statistical average temperatures for the month, as warmer days through mid-May balanced out the chill.

While Atlantic Canada was cold, a significant ridge of heat in the west led to record high temperatures in the Prairies for several consecutive days.

This temperature seesaw across the country was driven by a blocking pattern in the atmosphere.

Monday’s lingering atmospheric block: heat, rain, and frost

The atmospheric block continued to influence weather patterns on Monday. Heat warnings remained in effect for parts of eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba.

Alberta, situated on the cooler side of the block, faces a stalled low-pressure system that cloud bring significant rainfall, with amounts of 50-to-100 mm predicted for some areas.

Meanwhile, parts of Atlantic Canada are still experiencing a lingering chill. Frost advisories issued for eastern Nova Scotia and a Special Weather Statement for St. John’s, N.L., anticipating up to 2 cm of snow on Monday.

The week ahead and June’s warming outlook

Looking ahead, the ridge of heat is expected to flatten and extend eastward throughout the week. This shift will bring notably warmer temperatures to the Maritime provinces by Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures are predicted to be above average for early June region wide for both Thursday and Friday.

A temporary cool-down is anticipated on the weekend due to a passing low-pressure system.

Further into the extended forecast, temperatures are projected to climb towards more typical warm June weather next week. Both weekly and monthly computer models indicate that near to above-average temperatures are likely for mid-to-late June, though this average does not exclude the possibility of occasional cooler days or stretches.