Santa could be bringing some record-breaking heat
Wednesday, December 24, 2014, 1:46 PM - It's not cold but heat that's spreading around this holiday season.
Temperatures have been above seasonal in different parts of the country. In parts of Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada there's even the chance of some temperature highs breaking records
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So why is it so warm?
"Strong storms are pushing the warm air into northern Ontario and transporting it into southern Ontario and the southern Maritimes, said Matt Grinter, meteorologist at The Weather Network.
Unfortunately for those enjoying the warmer days, they will soon be gone.
"For the Greater Toronto Area cooler temps return Christmas Day. They'll still be above seasonal but the really cold temperatures come in at the end of the weekend and into next week," Grinter said. "For Atlantic Canada, mild temperatures cool down into Friday but will still be above seasonal."
Key cities to look out for...
For Ontario, the warmest day will be Christmas Eve. St Catharines might come close to breaking their 1982 record of 12.6 ºC with their current forecast putting them as high as 12 ºC.
Even some places in Quebec could come close to breaking their record for a Christmas Day high. However it's important to note that their highest temperatures will come close to midnight and cool down throughout the day.
And as for Atlantic Canada, temperatures will also be at their highest during Christmas Day. Charlottetown is expected to be about 12 ºC, just shy of their record 12.4 ºC. That was set back in 1996. Halifax, Nova Scotia is just 0.1 degrees Celsius away from their record 13.1 ºC with their forecast putting them at 13 ºC and Fredericton, New Brunswick is expected to at least tie their 2003 12 ºC record.
Rainfall totals
Rainfall is another value to look for once the final numbers come in, especially in Quebec.
Around Quebec City, the average December rainfall is about 32 mm. By Thursday many places are expected to have around 30 mm of rain. Saguenay, Quebec could easily beat their monthly average of 12 mm.
