Respected Forecaster Predicts Warm, Dry Fall for Alberta

AccuWeather.com recently released its fall forecast.

Brett Anderson, senior meteorologist with the online forecaster, commented on four things we can expect, weather-wise, between September and November:

1) What’s in the skies for Alberta this fall?

                “In general, we’re expecting drier conditions compared to normal – for Calgary and area, right up to Edmonton and into the mountains. Much of southwestern Alberta also looks to be drier than normal.”

2) Where is the warmth coming from?

                “The water temperatures off the northern Pacific, especially off the West  Coast, continue to remain well above normal. We think that’s going to persist. We think there will be more Pacific air coming in from the west compared to chilly air coming in from the north during the bulk of the fall.”

3) What does this mean for Alberta (and for ski season)?

                “I think we’re going to see a later start than normal to the ski season. In terms of precipitation, in areas where it’s been relatively dry, it doesn’t look like we’re going to see much in the way of relief.”

4) Any glimpses ahead to what winter will bring?

                “A lot depends on El Nino. A month or two ago, we were expecting a moderate to perhaps strong El Nino coming in late summer, early fall. As of now, we still do not have El Nino, officially.  However we do believe El Nino is coming, though the latest indications are that it will be weak to, at most, moderate. The impact of this will be very little during the fall. However, during winter, the usual case with El Nino is that we see above normal temperatures across Western Canada.”