Ontario's record warmth is ending, panic for the snow tires next?
The recent stretch of exceptional and record-shattering November warmth has left many confused as to exactly where we go next.
This November "heat wave" was truly like no other as long standing records fell and the warmth touched mostly every part of the province.
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It was also extremely unique in that it wasn't associated with any potent storms.
"The typical way of getting very warm in November is by getting in the warm sector of a classic fall storm," says Weather Network meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham. "That is what makes most of this past week unique as we had quite a streak without a storm pumping the warmth into our region."
Seven consecutive days of the glorious sunshine and well above seasonal temperatures to be exact.
BRACING FOR AN ABRUPT CHANGE TO WINTER NEXT?
The anxiety might be building as many Ontarians realize how unusual this spell of warm weather truly is, and especially as an abrupt pattern change brought a quick snap into winter for parts of the north.
Will this now be the turning point for an early start to winter province wide? Not so fast.
"Record warmth in November is often followed by a violent transition to very cold weather and lake-effect snow," says Gillham, "but this time, we are just going to ease into a more 'typical' November pattern."
THE HEAT WAVE IS OVER, TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO TUMBLE
Despite some normal wintry interruptions that may include more changeable weather, occasional shots of chilly temperatures and periods of shortlived lake-effect snow (next week), according to Gillham, it looks like November should still tip slightly to the mild side for the second half of the month.
"There's no need to panic and rush to get the snow tires on just yet in southern Ontario," Gillham adds. "We do not expect any extended periods of colder than normal weather or any severe cold before the end of the month."
Added bonus: The central U.S. looks to feature some very warm weather, some of which could even expand into southern Ontario at times. And while that could allow for more beautiful November days, it will not be as consistent or as warm as what was just experienced during the past week.
Still, quite the contrast to the previous two Novembers of 2018 and 2019, both of which featured consistent winter weather and significant snow.
