Ontario: Summer's here, but no 'truly hot weather' in sight

Digital WritersThe Weather Network
Digital Writers

The official kickoff to summer is here and Mother Nature is finally aligning perfectly with the calendar.

The official kickoff to summer is here and Mother Nature is finally aligning perfectly with the calendar. "Spectacular" is the one word being used to describe the weekend weather as abundant sunshine and pleasant temperatures get us all in the mood for those summer-time feelings. We take a look at a welcome and well deserved gorgeous weekend ahead, and how the upcoming July long weekend will prove to be much different from last year's, below.

Summer revealed! Visit our Complete Guide to Summer 2019 for an in-depth look at the Summer Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more


WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Sunshine returns for first day of summer

  • Gusty northwest wind keeps temperatures few degrees below seasonal into weekend

  • Slight rain/thunderstorm risk late Sunday

  • Latest alerts for your area HERE


SUMMER'S HERE AND SO IS THE SUN

Thursday's flooded roads have since re-opened and the hefty helping of rain has now cleared, making way for full sunshine as we get ready to celebrate the first weekend of summer upon us.

ONFRiday

The summer warmth won't be quite as timely, however, as temperatures stay cooler than seasonal (mid-20s) with a gusty northwest wind expected on Friday. We won't see any true summer-like heat into the weekend either, although temperatures will still be pleasant with abundant sunshine spreading right into Sunday.

"This is spectacular weather for the weekend," says Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham.

ONSaturday (5)

SEE ALSO: Welcoming summer with the science of the solstice

While most of the weekend stays mild and dry, we are watching the chance for a sneaky late-afternoon thunderstorm or shower on Sunday, particularly across southwestern Ontario, as a new front approaches. With a bit of luck, however, those will hold off until the evening.

Things will at least be feeling a little more "summery" into early next week as temperatures near the mid-20 mark and some higher humidity builds in as well. With that rising heat however, there's also a greater threat for rain showers and thunderstorms, with eyes on some potentially strong storms on Monday.

Content continues below

"The threat for a passing shower or thunderstorm will will continue through Wednesday, but the second half of next week will be mostly rain-free with abundant sunshine and temperatures more typical of early summer," Gillham says.

CANADA DAY SNEAK PEEK

While it's still too early to have high confidence in the weather details or rain timing of the long weekend, if it's the true summer warmth you've been looking for, the Canada Day weekend won't mark the turning point for heat.

"During the long weekend we expect a cool front will come through and knock our temperatures down a few degrees and bring the threat for a period of showers and thunderstorms," Gillham says.

Certainly a far cry from the record heat and humidity that we experienced during the same time period last year.

"At this point we do not have any extended periods of truly hot weather in sight," adds Gillham.

WATCH BELOW: WHO GETS BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR MOST SUNSHINE THIS SUMMER SOLSTICE?