Feels like fall in the Maritimes as Gulf states watch for another hurricane

The autumnal equinox occurred at 9:43 a.m. Sunday for the Maritimes, which was appropriate as a more typical “fall feel” returned to the air in contrast to the late summer heat of much of last week.

Fall feel

A persistent northeast wind cooled temperatures across the region Friday into the weekend.

Through much of this week high temperatures for the Maritimes will be closer to seasonable values, which is mostly high temperatures in the high-teens with some touching into the low-twenties. It’s cool enough Monday night into Tuesday morning (low temperatures for low-lying areas down to near 4 C) to give a chance of some patchy frost. Low temperatures will come up a few degrees for the remainder of the week, limiting the further risk of frost.

A seasonable, pleasant fall day ahead for Tuesday. A mix of sun and cloud along with high temperatures mostly in the range of 17 to 20 degrees. (Source: CTV News Atlantic)

Still dry, possible late week rain

A very minimal amount of rain was reported over the weekend, mostly in the form of some patchy showers and drizzle. Yarmouth and Shelburne counties in Nova Scotia picked up a bit more with two-to-four millimetres. It has been a very dry stretch of September weather for the Maritimes.

For those looking for more rain and showers, Thursday into Friday holds some potential. A low-pressure system and weather front is expected to move into the Maritimes from the west. The system would bring rain and showers to the region. This time of year, that type of weather system is usually good for 10-to-30 mm.

Hurricane expected in the Gulf of Mexico

An area of thunderstorms in the western Caribbean will move into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts the storm will become a category-one and then category-two hurricane as it moves north across the Gulf. The current forecast cone favours a Thursday landfall in Florida somewhere between Choctawhatchee Bay on the panhandle and Tampa Bay as a category-two hurricane.

A tropical storm and then hurricane is expected to develop in the Gulf of Mexico and then approach Florida this week. (Source: CTV News Atlantic)

Aside from the risk of hurricane conditions for parts of Florida, as the storm comes onshore it could bring heavy rain to other states. States that could potentially get heavy rain include parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. There are currently no indications the storm will have any direct impact on our weather in the Maritimes.

There is a second area of thunderstorms being monitored off the coast of Africa that is being given a 70 per cent chance of developing into a tropical system over the next seven days as it moves into the central Atlantic.