Canada Day Forecast: thin goldilocks zone in a country of weather extremes
Whether it's an extended long weekend or not, Canada Day will offer a wide variety of extreme weather conditions across the country heading into Thursday.
Canada Day will feature a wide range in temperatures across the country – not surprising for a country that is as expansive as ours, but the contrast will be much greater than we typically see during early July.
Here is a look at temperatures across the country for Thursday.
HISTORIC HEAT CONTINUES ACROSS THE WEST
Canada Day will bring yet another day of record heat for parts of Western Canada, as temperatures soar to the mid to upper 30s from the interior of southern B.C. to northern Saskatchewan. High temperature records will be in jeopardy for dozens of locations including Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Saskatoon.
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The hot weather will extend all the way to the Northwest Territories and Nunavut with temperatures reaching into the 30s for southern parts of this region. Even Churchill, Manitoba should reach 30°C for Canada Day. This is warmer than what we will see across most of eastern Canada, including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
STRUGGLING TO HIT THE DOUBLE DIGITS ON THE EAST COAST
In contrast to the western heat, temperatures will struggle to even reach the double digits across Newfoundland. Similar temperatures will be found in Iqaluit. However, there will be some heat and humidity across southern and western Nova Scotia.
Abundant sunshine is likely across large stretches of Canada, but we have a threat for showers and thunderstorms across northern and northeastern B.C., northwestern Alberta, southern Ontario, southern Quebec and across much of Atlantic Canada. For most of these areas, the day will not be a washout, but the threat for showers and thunderstorms will interrupt many outdoor plans.
Visit our Complete Guide to Summer 2021 for an in-depth look at the Summer Forecast, tips to plan for it and much more!
WEEKEND OUTLOOK: HEAT WAVE SLOWLY RELAXES FOR THE WEST, EAST LOCKS INTO COOLER THAN SEASONAL CONDITIONS
As we look ahead to the weekend, the heat wave will slowly relax and spread east across the Prairies. Meanwhile, cooler than seasonal temperatures will be found east of the Great Lakes with rather autumnal weather expected across Atlantic Canada.
Saturday will finally bring some relief from the dangerous heat for B.C. and Alberta, with temperatures easing back closer to seasonal. However, the interior valleys of southern B.C. will still reach the low to mid 30s.
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More high temperature records will be broken on Saturday, though, this time across most of Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.
Note the contrast between Winnipeg with a record high near 37°C, while the heat will have broken for Churchill with a high of just 13°C.
Pleasant weather will be found across southern and eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, but temperatures will be noticeably cooler than what we have been during most of the month of June. Temperatures will continue to be much cooler than seasonal across Atlantic Canada.
For Sunday, the hottest weather in the country will be found across northern Ontario. Temperatures will reach the low to mid 30s from west of Lake Superior to James Bay. Moosonee (just south of James Bay) should reach the mid 30s, while temperatures will be in the mid to upper 20 across southern parts of Ontario, with the exception of the Windsor area where temperatures will also top 30°C.
Many Canadians will see some sunshine as we wrap up the weekend on Sunday, but there will be some areas with a threat for showers and thunderstorms, especially for southern and central Alberta, Manitoba and parts of Atlantic Canada.
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Be sure to check back for the latest updates on the Canada Day weekend.
