Mild weather may last for rest of the month

A11

Charles Perry

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Everyone who has been enjoying the unseasonably mild weather in New Brunswick over the past few weeks can expect more of the same.

The warm temperatures are expected to continue, not only in this province but across most of the country, at least for the rest of this week and "for awhile after that," says Chris Scott of Oakland, Ont., forecast operations manager for The Weather Network.

Scott said he sees no indication of any "real sharp switch to cooler weather" occurring for any length of time in the near future.

"But, once we get through the end of the month, patterns will likely start changing."

The breadth of the unseasonably warm conditions is truly amazing, stretching from the eastern boundaries of the Canadian Rockies to Newfoundland, said Scott. And the almost balmy weather follows a chilly October with snow occurring in many parts of the country.

At the very end of the month, he said the Maritimes was hit with a snow storm, with Nova Scotia and Newfoundland receiving the brunt of it. People were getting their snow tires on and gearing up for what looked like an early start to the winter, he added.

"But then, the weather flipped in November to normal October, and at times, September conditions," he said. "It's as though Mother Nature felt sorry for the October weather she gave us and is trying to make up for it this month," said Scott.

David Phillips of Toronto, senior climatologist for Environment Canada, who was in the Prairies yesterday to promote his annual Environment Canada Weather Trivia Calendar, said everyone he is meeting is uplifted by the unexpectedly warm November.

"The result is that everybody is in a good mood," he said.

Metro Moncton did not set any new high marks this month but is still enjoying one of its mildest Novembers on record, said Scott. Temperatures reached the double-digit marks several times so far this month in Moncton and are expected to climb to 10C (50F) on both Friday and Saturday.

So, how is it that most the country, the lone exception being British Columbia, is being blessed with such good weather this late in the year?

"It is the jet stream -- that long skipping rope that flows around the world," explains The Weather Network spokesman. "A dip currently in the top part of the rope is keeping the warm air further north and the jet stream has been in this stationery pattern for the past couple of weeks."

People across Canada could not be any happier about the situation, said Scott.

* Charles Perry's Weather appears daily.