2018 Canada autumn forecast: Extended wildfire season in store for British Columbia; Warmth to grip Ontario, Quebec We have updated our Priv...
We have updated our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy effective May 25, 2018. Please review them. CONTINUE
- MY RECENT LOCATIONS°F
- New York, NY83°
- Miami, FL80°
- Los Angeles, CA70°
- Browse for your location
United States
My Recent Countries
More Countries , °FMy Settings
°F °CHeat Advisory ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM ...
2018 Canada autumn forecast: Extended wildfire season in store for British Columbia; Warmth to grip Ontario, QuebecBy Brian Lada, AccuWeather meteorologist and staff writer
August 27, 2018, 8:15:00 AM EDT
Share this article:
Warmth will linger well into autumn across much of Canada, extending the already active wildfire season and delaying the first chill of the season.
One reason for the widespread warmth is the anticipated development of El Niño.
El Niño occurs when the waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean are warmer than normal, influencing the global weather pattern.
Warm pattern to persist across Quebec, Ontario
A mild autumn is on tap for much of eastern Canada, including Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
âThe projected weather pattern favors a later-than-usual frost and freeze across much of southern Canada,â AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
âThe best opportunity for an early season cold outbreak appears to be across far-northern Quebec into Labrador,â he said.
This widespread warmth will impact the fall foliage across much of the region, potentially delaying the peak season by one or two weeks.
Areas closer to the Great Lakes can expect spells of wet weather to accompany the warm autumn.
âThere will be plenty of opportunities for showers and late-season thunder around the Great Lakes,â Anderson said.
Once colder air moves in late in the season, the Great Lakes could see rain squalls that produce small hail and even a few waterspouts.
Meanwhile, Atlantic Canada will see fewer storms this autumn with a below-average risk of landfalling tropical cyclones.
Drought concerns may grow across the southern Prairies
A warm and dry weather pattern is predicted to dominate much of the Prairies this season.
âThis may be beneficial to the early fall harvest,â Anderson said.
However, it will lead to drought concerns for others.
RELATED:
Photos: Devastating wildfires trigger air quality concerns, evacuation orders in northwestern US and British Columbia
10 ways Canadaâs Yukon Territory is beyond your wildest dreams
Brett Anderson's Canada weather blog
Much of the region has been drier than normal throughout the summer months with moderate to severe drought in some areas, according to the Canada Drought Monitor.
As of July 31, some of the worst drought conditions were located north of Winnipeg and west of Regina.
The anticipated weather this fall could cause drought to expand into other parts of the Prairies.
Wildfire threat to continue across British Columbia
The active wildfire season across British Columbia this summer will continue into the fall, extending the risk of far-reaching smoke and poor air quality.
More than 1,800 wildfires have been recorded across the region since April 1, burning over 3,800 square kilometers of land.
This makes 2018 the fourth most active wildfire season on record for British Columbia, according to the British Columbia Wildfire Service.
According to Anderson: âHigh fire danger likely to linger through early fall across much of western Canada with smoke continuing to be an issue, especially from southern British Columbia through the southern Prairies.â
The Alkali Lake Wildfire burning in British Columbia on Aug. 16, 2018. (Photo/BC Wildfire Service)
Many storms moving into western Canada will be directed to the northern half of British Columbia and the southwestern part of the Yukon Territory, Anderson said, promoting dry conditions where a majority of the fires have been burning.
Similar to areas farther east, the warm and dry conditions will also impact the regionâs foliage, delaying the peak season across the Canadian Rockies.
Weather News >More Weather News
-
Photos: Summer snow blankets mountains across the Pacific Northwest
Weather News - August 27, 2018, 9:49:34 PM EDT
The first snow of the season fell across the Pacific Northwest Sunday into Monday as an autumnlike storm swept across the region.
-
Is there a correlation between lack of Atlantic hurricanes, significant weather elsewhere?
Weather News - August 27, 2018, 6:24:00 PM EDT
There may be a correlation between a lack of hurricanes in the Atlantic and above-average storminess elsewhere in North America and the Pacific Ocean off of the West Coast.
-
DC to NYC, Boston: AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to soar above 100 F into midweek
Weather News - August 27, 2018, 3:41:49 PM EDT
Heat and humidity will have a firm grip on the northeastern United States through midweek, leading to dangerous AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures.
-
Damaging thunderstorms to threaten midwestern US into Tuesday
Weather News - August 27, 2018, 9:44:02 PM EDT
Residents with outdoor plans will have to remain on alert as severe weather will take aim at parts of the midwestern United States into Tuesday.
-
AccuWeather in Alaska: Exploring earthquake mysteries and climate change insights
Weather News
AccuWeather visited Alaska to talk to some of the world's top scientific researchers who study climate change and seismology. This blog explores our expedition into the Arctic.
-
US Labor Day weekend outlook: Storms may threaten plans in Midwest, South
Weather News - August 27, 2018, 3:56:36 PM EDT
As millions are gearing up for the Labor Day holiday weekend, many are wondering if the weather may foil their plans.
-
India: Mumbai, Indore set for monsoon downpours this week
Weather News - August 27, 2018, 12:49:47 PM EDT
As Kerala continues to recover from historic flooding, the threat for flooding downpours will shift farther north this week.
-
Descubre cómo evitar beber agua contaminada después de una tormenta
Weather News - August 27, 2018, 10:37:29 AM EDT
Luego de un huracán o un fuerte evento atmosférico, existe el riesgo de consumir agua contaminada por filtraciones en las lÃneas de distribución.
Trending News
Huge waterspout forms on Switzerland's Lake Zurich Timelapse shows Northern Lights swirling over wildfireTRENDING NOW

Photos: Summer snow blankets mountains across the Pacific Northwest
The first snow of the season fell across the Pacific Northwest Sunday into Monday as an autumnlike storm swept across the region.
Read Story
Photos: Hawaii endures devastating flooding as Lane drops 3rd-highest US tropical rain total
Record rainfall from Lane triggered devastating flooding and debris flows across Hawaii late this past week.
Read Story More Trending Now >

- Netatmo Weather Station
- Site Specific Severe Weather Warnings
- Free Weather For Your Site
- AccuWeather for Android
- The AccuWeather Network
- The AccuWeather Store
- The Weather Station for Smartphone
- YourCaster for iOS
- AccuWeather - Weather for Life
- Try RadarPro⢠Today
- Telemet Data Feeds
- The Weather Station by Netatmo
No comments