Far from a banner spring, this season has been characterized by soggy weather and cool temperatures for the Maritimes.

Part of the issue has been consistent troughing (a dip to the south) of the jet stream for eastern areas of Canada. Being under a trough this time of the year helps keep cool air in place, along with frequent rounds of inclement weather in the form of cloudiness and rain.

The Maritimes is not alone in this, with similar conditions for large areas of Quebec and Ontario. Contrast this with western areas of the county that have seen frequent ridges (a rise to the north) in the jet stream and we find prolonged periods of above-normal temperatures for British Columbia, and very dry weather for parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

That’s not all good news in the west though, as Alberta and British Columbia have been contending with some large and early wildfires, while much of the area between Prince Albert and Regina in Saskatchewan has been declared as in moderate to severe drought by the Canadian Drought Monitor.

While that has yet to significantly impact agriculture in that province -- seeding operations are actually ahead of schedule -- it will be a growing concern if it continues for the weeks and months to come.

While we haven’t finished the month of May yet, it would take a dramatic turnaround in temperatures to bring the Maritimes back to or above what is the average for this month. As of May 21, most of the region is sitting a good 2 to 3 degrees below the average daily temperature for May.

temperatures

Wednesday’s temperatures won’t help much as we are cool in gusty north winds. On top of that, clearing Wednesday evening will allow low temperatures to fall into the low single digits with some flirting with freezing. Due to that forecast, a frost advisory has been issued for New Brunswick and areas of Nova Scotia.

Is warmer weather on the way? Somewhat. A few days over the next several will see some temperature recovery for our region. Thursday will be milder in the afternoon with the exceptions of Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. Saturday looks warm to mild in southerly winds across the Maritimes with high temperatures ranging from the mid-teens to the low twenties.

In the longer range forecast there are currently indications of a more persistent south/southwest wind for early June which would aid in keeping us out of unseasonably cool air for the start of that month.