Warmth, sun in Ontario a final parting gift from summer as fall nears
The official end to summer is near, as the kickoff to the fall season begins with the autumnal equinox this weekend. While some may be ready to cozy up and switch out the summer wardrobe for sweatshirts and pumpkin-spice everything, it certainly won't be a complete free-fall into the frosty conditions this year. An extended stretch of mostly fair weather and mild temperatures will dominate across much of Ontario for the final days of September.
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A large ridge of high pressure will build over Ontario and Quebec by the end of the week, allowing temperatures to soar far above seasonal as we approach the first day of fall on Saturday.
Ridges foster sinking air, which warms up as it falls toward the ground. This air will get quiet toasty for a large swath of Ontario.
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On Wednesday and Thursday, temperatures have the potential to reach the mid-20s in extreme southwestern Ontario, with low-to-mid 20s likely for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and east. There is the potential where temperatures could overachieve in some areas in the south if the winds shift to be from the southwest, and bring in some warmer air.
After Friday the winds will shift to be more from the north, and while not necessarily "cold" winds, it will just really decrease any chances of overachieving in temperatures.
Toronto breaks record for most rainy days this summer
The sunshine accompanying the warmer temperatures will also make for a pleasant change to end the season, especially after what will be remembered as a soggy summer for some.
Between June 1 and August 31, Toronto's Pearson airport recorded 42 days of rain, marking the most number of days with measurable precipitation on record. This doesn't mean it was the wettest, or had the most amount of rain, just the number of days that it actually rained was high over the season. The old record to beat was back in 2017 when 41 days of rain was reported.
It's actually been months since the city has recorded a lengthy dry stretch this year, as well. June 16-22 was the last 7-day period that Toronto had gone without any sort of rainy interruption. That is possible to occur this week into early next week before the next chance of widespread rain occurs.
The warmth and the sun won’t remain confined to the south, either. We could see highs across portions of northern Ontario climb 10+ degrees above seasonal as we finish off the month of September.
We will watch the potential for a cooler pattern through the start of October.
Thumbnail image courtesy: Getty Images.
Stay with The Weather Network for the latest on conditions across Ontario.
