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Taste of winter not expected to last

Meteorologists at The Weather Network say to expect a “typical fall”.
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A more typical fall season is expected than what has been expereinced so far, according to meteorologists at The Weather Network. Photo by Megan Roth/Sylvan Lake News

Central Alberta may have already experienced the first snows of winter, but don’t expect that to be the trend for the upcoming autumn season.

The Weather Network released its Fall Forecast on Sept. 17, and according to meteorologists employed by the forecasting giant, fall is going to be pretty typical.

Michael Carter, a meteorologist with The Weather Network, says the colder temperatures will persist for the next seven to 10 days before giving way to more seasonal temperatures.

“The very abrupt turn around we saw at the beginning of September is enough to give you whiplash,” Carter said in a recent phone interview, adding, “It is very temporary however.”

The cooler weather pattern experienced throughout Central Alberta, and the entire province, is not expected to be indicative of what is to come.

In fact, Carter predicts temperatures will rise to seasonal or a little above for entirety of the transformative season.

“We are expecting it will be warmer than normal, but not by much,” said Carter.

Warmer is a bit of a relative term, as each week of autumn the average daily high drops by about two degrees.

“Fall is a transition season, so naturally temperatures will begin to get cooler each week. We are predicting that will happen as usual, once this cold snap is through.”

Once temperatures go back to their usual, Carter says the transition into winter will be mild and gentle, especially when compared to the shift into fall.

Carter and other meteorologists are also predicting perpetuation will also be near normal, though that normal will look a little different.

He explains there will be fewer rainy days over the course of the next few months, but when it does rain, more will fall than usual during that time.

“It certainly won’t be a dry season, though it may look like that at first glance,” he said. “We are seeing no signs of drought for the Central Alberta region and to the north.”

There is some concern that the southern region of the province, in through Calgary and Medicine Hat, will have a drier autumnal season than the rest of the province.

Carter expects Central Alberta will see fewer storms move through the area than usual. However, the ones that do will bring more than its fair share of rain.

Looking at the long range forecast, temperatures are expected to return to the regular by the end of September.

“There is no need to break out the parkas just yet. We will experiencing a typical fall with a gentler ramp-down into winter,” said Carter.

The fall forecast by The Weather Network can be found at www.weathernetwork.com and shows the expected outcome of the upcoming season for the entire country.