Above-average temperatures expected to last all summer in Edmonton

If these temperatures feel unseasonably hot to you, you’re not wrong, and it’s a sign of what’s to come this summer, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).

Edmonton is poised to reach a high of 30ºC today, a full 20 days before the earliest day the city has reached that mark. Previously, our earliest 30ºC day came on May 23, 2018.

According to Jesse Wagar, a meteorologist with ECCC, the weather agency forecasts with “high confidence” that May, June and July will see above-average temperatures.

Environment and Climate Change Canada uses a series of models, including looking at international influences, to get a picture of the long-term forecast.

“We are expecting an El Nino year, but I think it’s important to note that the effects of El Nino, especially in our neck of the woods, are more pronounced as we get into fall and winter, so its a bit unclear of how it will affect our summer temperatures,” Wagar explained.

El Nino is associated with warmer-than-normal ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean — this typically leads to higher temperatures in our area.

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“Regardless of the sort of El Nino influence, we are already expecting a warmer than normal summer with relatively high confidence.”

A heat warning is currently in effect for the City of Edmonton and surrounding areas and extends northeast into Fort McMurray. Warnings are issued when temperatures exceed 29ºC during the day and remain above 14ºC at night.

Temperatures in this range put people at a higher risk of developing heat-related illnesses.

So, if these temperatures have you thinking about finally picking up an AC unit, now is probably the time.