‘Delicious’ fall forecast for most of Canada: climatologist

Climatologist for Environment Canada David Phillips on the outlook for the autumn season as fall officially starts Monday afternoon.

Canadians across most parts of the country can look forward to a “delicious” autumn, according to one expert.

In an interview with CTV News Channel, Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips said now that fall is officially here, we can expect “above normal” temperatures across much of the country.

“Temperatures in most major cities (will be) hitting or surpassing 20 degrees,” he said. “But sweater weather is almost certainly around the corner.”

Phillips predicts mild enough temperatures that most Canadians won’t need to rely on heating to feel comfortable during the season, but he doesn’t expect temperatures so high they’ll be turning their air conditioning back on.

When temperatures are described as “above average,” Phillips said, this means in relation to what is typical in the fall months, not compared to the highs of summer.

“When you look at October, it averages maybe 12 degrees cooler than the average temperature for August and September,” he said. “Even though we’re using the same words – above average – it can be a lot colder, and you have to understand that is what we really mean by being warmer than normal.”

There aren’t any areas in Canada that are expected to be colder than normal, with many regions predicted to be above normal, he said.

“We’re going to see the frost before the pumpkins maybe,” he said “We’re going to see snow before Remembrance Day in some areas. So we get those little teasers, but it doesn’t spoil the wonderful season fall is.”

While this year’s forest fire season was the second worst ever, he said, air quality has improved. Some autumn storms are in the forecast, with Phillips saying this is especially true along the east coast.

Phillips said the biggest downside about the fall is that it doesn’t last too long, so it’s best to take advantage of it when possible.

“Don’t procrastinate,” he said. “Go for it. You know the weather can change very quickly.”