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September sets hot and cold records

The month began with sunny days and a new daily record high, 30.2C, followed by a record low of -1.21C

Typically, September brings a month of warm and dry weather in the West Kootenay region.

The month began with sunny days and a new daily record high, 30.2 C, set on Sept. 7.

Soon after, the air took on a chill that was colder than usual when a system from the Arctic blew through the area and set new records for the earliest fall freeze in 44 years.

The new daily minimum temperatures of -1.1 C and -0.7 C were recorded during the early morning hours of Sept. 11 and Sept. 12, noted local forecaster Ron Lakeman.

“These are also the new earliest fall season below freezing temperatures on record for the Castlegar Airport,” he said.

The previous record for a below zero temperature was set Sept. 13, 1970.

After the first frosty days, the weather pattern changed again and temperatures became more seasonal and drier than normal.

September rainfall is generally 42 millimetres (mm), but this year only 26 mm fell over the course of the month.

Moving through this weekend and into next week, Lakeman says a high pressure system is expected to cause a temperature inversion, meaning cool temperatures could prevail in the valleys while warm air rises to the upper elevations.

During the first few days of next week, a mix of sun and clouds is predicted, with temperatures reaching in the 20s, which is higher than normal.

“Usually, 15 C or 16 C is the norm,” explained Lakeman. “But we could be seeing temperatures into the upper teens or low 20s in the next week and a half,” he said, adding, “Thanksgiving weekend looks relatively dry, fairly sunny and relatively warm.”



Sheri Regnier

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