Enjoy the mild weather while you can.
The double-digit daytime highs forecasted for today in much of southern Ontario will likely be record-breaking.
But it won’t last, said Trudy Kidd, program meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, saying that while Friday’s highs could be record-breaking, temperatures will then return to more seasonal levels.
The high temperatures of 12 C projected for Peel Region would easily shatter the previous high according to Environment Canada data. The real hot spot is Windsor at 16 degrees which would also be a new record.
“Right now, we are watching a low-pressure system make its way through northern Ontario and it’s allowing for a persistent flow of warm air from the south to push into the province. That’s why we’re seeing those warm temperatures,” Kidd explained. “The winter coats can be tucked away tomorrow, even Saturday depending on your comfort level, but after that, we’ll be right back at it,” Kidd said on Thursday.
Normal daytime highs for this time of year in much of southern Ontario are around -2 C, with overnight lows of -10 C.
“We’re expecting the rest of February, and even the next four weeks, to look very close to normal,” Kidd added. With temperatures expected to remain at or below the freezing mark over the coming weeks, Kidd noted there will be plenty of opportunities for snow, freezing rain, and freezing drizzle. “Experience has told us that even when we see these really anomalously warm periods, it bounces right back again.”