Here’s the Fall Forecast Across Canada, According to AccuWeather
Updated: Aug. 24, 2020Meteorologists give us a sneak peek at Canada’s fall forecast for 2020, from coast to coast.
A sneak peek at the forecast for fall 2020 in Canada
Following a scorching summer, many Canadians are looking forward to fall weather and all that it brings: colourful foliage, crisp air and delicious fall produce. According to AccuWeather’s meteorologists, however, we might need to wait a bit longer for a respite from the heat, as much of the country will be seeing above normal temperatures well into autumn.
Here’s the seasonal weather forecast for fall 2020 in Canada, region by region.
Fall 2020 forecast for British Columbia: Wet and cloudy
According to AccuWeather’s Canada weather expert, Brett Anderson, weak El Niña conditions, which are characterized by cooler-than-normal ocean water in the Pacific near the equator, are expected to develop in fall 2020. This climate pattern will enhance rain across British Columbia from October through November. Though this sounds like bad news, wetter days will also bring drought relief to the area after a particularly dry summer. (Check out six bizarre things that happen when it’s about to storm.)
Avid skiers can look forward to getting an early start this year: AccuWeather is predicting an earlier-than-normal snowfall in the eastern part of B.C., near the Rockies.
Fall 2020 forecast for Alberta and the Prairies: Ideal harvest weather
AccuWeather is forecasting that the first frost in Alberta and the prairie provinces may be slow to arrive. This is welcome news for farmers who experienced last year’s “harvest from hell,” when rain and snow cut the canola farming season short and buried millions of acres of crops. This is unlikely to happen this year, according to Anderson, who notes that the cold air and the bulk of the storms will remain in the northwest, sparing most agricultural regions.
Fall can also be a particularly scary time for Canadians who face the threat of wildfires. In 2019, wildfires in Alberta consumed 883,414 hectares (more than 2.1-million acres) of land, making it one of the most destructive fire seasons in the country’s history. Luckily, 2020’s fire season has been well below-average so far, and is expected to remain that way through early fall.
Read the terrifying story of what it’s like to survive a fire tornado.
Fall 2020 forecast for Ontario and Quebec: Persisting warm weather and rain
AccuWeather’s meteorologists are calling for rainy and cloudy conditions this fall in Southern Ontario and Quebec, which might come as a welcome relief after months of relentless sun. The corridor encompassing Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa—home to 11-million people, and Canada’s most densely populated region—experienced record-setting temperatures this summer. In fact, July 2020 was the hottest July in 84 years, according to Environment Canada.
Check out this gorgeous gallery of Canadian fall photography.
Fall 2020 forecast for Atlantic Canada: Tropical storms ahead
On the east coast, a historically busy hurricane season isn’t expected to slow down in 2020. Along with a number of factors, warmer waters reaching farther north will influence the type (and ferocity) of tropical storms that Atlantic Canadians can expect.
According to Anderson, one hurricane hits Atlantic Canada every three years. This year, the risk for a tropical storm reaching our east coast is heightened due to the expected high number of named storms in the Atlantic and abnormally warm water in the western North Atlantic. AccuWeather experts are projecting a total of 20-24 named tropical systems this fall, with 9-11 of those becoming full-blown hurricanes. It’s possible that a couple of these storms could threaten the northeastern United States. If so, those storms could also impact Canada as well.
Now that you know the forecast for fall 2020 in Canada, find out what it was like on the coldest day in Canadian history.