Warmer, drier October followed by colder, snowier November

Glacier FarmMedia | MarketsFarm — The balance of October is likely to remain warmer than normal across the Canadian Prairies, but the weather could turn colder than normal in November, Weatherlogics chief scientist Scott Kehler explained.

He pointed to a La Nina event that’s developing over the Pacific Ocean, noting with the phenomenon at this stage it’s not uncommon for the Prairies to have a nice October, one that will likely see dry stretches.

“But the thing is, this month doesn’t average a huge amount of rainfall,” Kehler stated, adding that a single system could provide a month’s worth of rain.

Read Also

U.S. Livestock: CME lean hogs hit 5-mth peak on demand, cattle range bound

Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures advanced on Monday to the highest point in nearly five months…

As well, the forecaster said any precipitation during October will be dependent on the particular location, with some areas getting more or less rain than others.

“As we move into wintertime, with La Nina that generally tends to favour a colder winter on the Prairies. Colder winters tend to be snowier ones,” he continued. “The only caveat is this La Nina event is not looking as strong as initially thought.”

In such a case, Kehler said the usual weather patterns involved with a La Nina become less certain.

“For most locations, it will seem like a colder, snowier winter because of how warm it was last winter,” he added.