Warm fall weather signals a shift in seasonal trends

People enjoy a walk through the fall leaves in this undated photo. (Natalie van Rooy/CTV News Ottawa)

October’s weather was a record breaker in Waterloo Region, and according to forecasters, that’s not a surprise.

The University of Waterloo’s weather station said October was the fourth warmest in the last 25 years, with temps more than a degree and a half above average for the month.

Forecast trends show that could continue into November.

“The past few weeks, like everyone has been in their summer clothes,” said resident Klarees Lupoae.

Forecasters predict daily high temps will return to the double-digits by next week.

“What we’ve noticed, in the past 10 years, is we’ve seen this pattern of shifting seasons,” Frank Seglenieks, coordinator at the UW weather station, said.

According to him, recent trends show a delay of all four seasons. The arrival of autumn also a couple of months behind schedule.

“We’re seeing much warmer Septembers, Octobers and even into November,” said Seglenieks. “The same thing happens on the other end of the season. Winter seems to drag on a little bit more.”

Experts attribute the shift to a number of different factors including the jet stream and other global weather patterns.

“I don’t like to celebrate it, I don’t want to be like: ‘Yay, this is wonderful.’ Because it’s not,” said Janis Harris, a flower farmer and florist in St. Thomas.

Her farm has benefited from the milder weather but she said the inconsistencies are concerning.

“We had snow in October on Halloween, but now we’re warm again. We’re not going to see below temperatures for another week and a bit,” she explained. “We’re getting not just a nice rain, we’re getting three inches of rain. It’s all very extreme.”

Others are also giving Mother Nature mixed reviews.

“I worry that this is a trend that’s not good,” said resident Silvia Wheeler.

“I would stick to a colder fall season, not a hotter one,” Lupoae agreed.

Some are wondering if a warmer fall is the new normal in Ontario.

“This the way the climate has been changing, and this the way we’re seeing it locally,” Seglenieks said.