Fall colours are in full force – but temps are still giving summer vibes
Welcome to fall everyone! The autumnal equinox is here, and as of 1:21 p.m. Saskatchewan time Wednesday, Sept. 22, it will be astronomical fall. Yes, I say astronomical fall because the fall marked on the calendar directly aligns with the autumnal equinox. There is another fall, too – meteorological fall started on Sept. 1 and encompasses three months ending in November.
The autumnal equinox is one of two equinoxes a year – a term which means “equal night.” This is because, during an equinox, every area of the planet from the far north regions of Canada to the tropics will have around 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours night – aka equal night. In Regina, we are going to have 12 hours and 10 minutes of daylight on the equinox, and the reason it’s not exactly 12 hours is due to how we define the moment of sunrise and sunset. If we said it was the moment that the centre point of the sun crossed the horizon, then it would be exactly equal to 12 hours of daylight tomorrow.
Now, for many of us, fall signals pumpkin spice lattes, warm coffees, a chill in the air and the changing colours of leaves…you know the drill, it is time to start thinking about bringing out the sweaters, wool blankets, fall coats and boots. But, if you’re ready for fall to be in full swing – you’ll have to wait a little while longer because the first day of fall looks to be about 10 degrees above seasonal. Yep, it is going to be warm out there!
And this is nothing new. September has been pretty beautiful so far. As of yesterday, the average high for the month was 21.8 degrees Celsius compared to the average for September of 19.1 degrees. So it has been a little warmer than a typical September and the majority of the next week does look to be above seasonal.
So, how does the first week of fall look? Well, it is going to be a little up and down.
On Wednesday, for the start of fall, temperatures are going to be well above seasonal. These warm temps are paired with lots of sunshine and some light winds with peak gusts to 40 km/h. A ridge of high pressure in the upper atmosphere helps with this weather pattern, as well as winds from the southwest.
However, heading into the second day of fall, there is a bit of a shift. A low-pressure system moves through northern Saskatchewan into Thursday and pulls a cold front across the province. This is going to sent temperatures back down to seasonal and bring some unsettled conditions.
Regina has a 30 per cent chance of precipitation, and if it does rain, we are likely to see about a millimetre. The high looks to be 16 degrees Celsius. And these cool, unsettled conditions will be paired with wind gusts up to 60 km/h. Friday is a little more settled than Thursday, but temperatures remain about the same and gusty conditions continue.
After these two cooler days, temperatures rise once again into the mid-20s for the weekend with lots of sunshine. So, our first weekend of fall looks to be a great one to spend some time outside as well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.