If you’ve found yourself reaching for a sweater more often than usual this July, you’re not alone.
Locals have been quick to notice this summer has felt cooler and more unpredictable than usual. Christy Climenhaga, a scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, says there’s a good reason for that.
“This July has been all over the place with our temperatures. We’ve hit the 30s a couple of times this month, but in between we’ve had some quite cool days. It was only 17 degrees on the 7th, for example, and the last few days have been cooler too," Climenhaga explains.
Despite those ups and downs, the average temperature for the month so far is surprisingly close to normal. But Climenhaga says averages don’t always tell the full story.
“We've had some cooler temperatures, especially this week. Portage's overnight temperatures got down to about 9 degrees on Wednesday night, and some other areas of the province got down to 5," she continues.
These kinds of swings aren’t unusual in Manitoba, but they’ve certainly been more noticeable this year.
“It can happen any time of year. If a large ridge forms, it can pull warmer-than-normal temperatures into the region. Then a good cold front comes through and drops things pretty quickly. It’s not uncommon to see ups and downs, but we are for sure seeing it this year," she adds.
As for what’s ahead, the weekend is expected to bring more typical mid-July weather. Highs should return to the mid-20s, and overnight lows are forecast to climb back into the double digits.
But it’s not all sunshine just yet, as smoky skies may be back in the picture.
“One thing to watch for this weekend is the smoke. We might start to see some of that smoke making its way back into southern Manitoba, especially on Saturday," she mentions.
She encourages residents to monitor the Air Quality Health Index and plan accordingly.
"Air quality is stubborn and it can change quickly, but hopefully we can all find some time to get outside to enjoy the warmer weather."
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