It has been over two decades since the region has experienced September weather like the month that just concluded.
In its monthly release, the Southeast Fire Centre Weather Services reported only 6.6 millimetres of rain or just 15 per cent of the average rainfall making it the fourth driest September on record and the driest since 1990.
“An upper ridge of high pressure was centered basically south of us over the four corner states around the Utah, Colorado area,” said forecaster Ron Lakeman.
He explained the high pressure “extended up over most of western North America into southeastern British Columbia and blocked most of the Pacific moisture from moving in.”
Along with dry conditions, September also brought some record high temperatures. In fact, the report said the month was 2.2 degrees Celsius warmer than the average September. The record high was matched or broken on four days in the month including Sept. 5 when the thermometer hit the month’s high of 32.2 degrees Celsius.
And while September brought an extended summer season, Lakeman said winter isn’t that far off.
The lowest temperature reading of the month came on the final day, Sept. 30, when it dipped to 2.1 degrees Celsius overnight. That might be a taste of what’s to come, said Lakeman.
“October will be on the cool and wet side,” he said. “The general idea is that there is a La Nina re-developing similar to last winter.
“The expectation is for a relatively cool winter with spring coming late.”