Warm weekend could set Maritime records while snow wallops the Prairies

The Maritime provinces could see record-breaking warm temperatures this weekend.

RECORD WATCH

An area of high pressure centred to the southeast of the Maritimes and ridge in the jet stream will allow for a push of warm air up the Eastern seaboard and into the Maritimes. That pattern is expected to persist for both Saturday and Sunday.

High temperatures on both those days are likely to be widespread in the high-teens and low-twenties.

The existing records at weather stations in the region are about at that range as well. A few could be tough to tumble, such as the standing record of 25 degrees in Greenwood in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia for a Nov. 6 that was set in 2017.

Standing high temperature records for November 5th on available station data.

Standing high temperature records for a November 6th on available station data.

COLD CONTRAST

In contrast to our forecast, it’s a far different story for the Canadian Prairies this weekend.

A low-pressure system spinning up on the Alberta side of the Rockies brings another shot of fall snow and plummeting temperatures in its wake.

Parts of central Saskatchewan and northwestern Manitoba look likely to see another 10 to 30-centimetre event. Gusty winds will accompany the snow contributing to periods of blowing snow.

Snowfall warnings have been issued for the Alberta foothills and a winter storm watch for parts of the Grainbelt in Saskatchewan. High temperatures for both Edmonton and Calgary look to be near -11 on Sunday with overnight lows near -17. That’s a good 10 degrees below average for them this time of the year.

An Alberta Clipper will contribute another 10 to 30 cm of snow to parts of the Prairies this weekend.

CHANGE AHEAD

What goes up must come down.

A cold front will reach the St. Lawrence River Valley on Sunday. That weather front will then cross the Maritimes on Monday. We’ll be put into a gusty northwest wind behind that will draw down some chillier air out of northern Quebec.

High temperatures are expected to fall into the mid-to-high single digits for Tuesday, which is seasonably chilly for early November.

A cold front will be east of the Maritimes by Tuesday. A northwest wind will bring seasonably chilly air into the region out of northern Quebec.