Maritimes set for warmest days of 2023 so far

It’s the warmest stretch of the year so far to get this week started in the Maritimes. Aside from the coastlines, most high temperatures reached the low-to-mid teens on Monday. Temperatures are forecast even a few degrees higher for Tuesday. The warm-up is a result of the combination of sunshine and a southwest wind bringing in milder air out of southern Ontario and the northeastern U.S. Those areas are generally enjoying some high temperatures in the high teens and low twenties to start this week.

Warm air has built into Ontario and the northeastern U.S. We are catching a bit of that here in the Maritimes to start this week.

Looking at the provincial capitals for Tuesday, I have highs forecast near 16 for Fredericton and Halifax, and 14 for Charlottetown. That should be enough to get those cities their warmest day of the year so far. It will also likely be the warmest day since Nov. 12, 2022, when high temperature reached into the high-teens. For reference, the 30-year average high temperatures for this part of April are in the mid-to-high single digits in the Maritimes.

We started off this week with some of the warmest temperatures we’ve had to date this year.

While quite a few communities should get into the mid-teens Tuesday, there will still be some temperature variation in the region. The coastlines will probably top out between 9 and 12, likewise for the Cape Breton Highlands. Additionally, I’m not expecting to set new record high temperature records. A quick look at the standing records for an April 11 has most of them in the high teens and twenties. The UV index is starting to come up a bit. Rated as moderate for the Maritimes on Tuesday, some skin protection should be considered if out in the sun for 30 minutes or longer.

Temperatures forecast to be even a touch warmer on Tuesday. A chance of showers in northern New Brunswick beginning in the afternoon.

A low-pressure system moving out of Quebec will return showers to northern New Brunswick by late afternoon Tuesday. Showery weather will cross the Maritimes Tuesday night into Wednesday, with snow in the Cape Breton Highlands. The showers are followed by a northwest wind that will bring high temperatures back down into the mid-to-high single digits Wednesday. High temperatures should then start to climb back into the low teens Thursday and mid-teens Friday. It’s expected to be cooler again on parts of the coast, mainly due to the surrounding ocean water temperatures currently running between 1 and 6 degrees.

Barring a major change in the extended forecast, the upcoming weekend looks like it will feature some fairly sunny and warm April weather as well.

I’ll have updates and regional weather conditions on CTV News Atlantic programming at 5, 6, and 11:30 p.m.