Northern Canada could reach sizzling heights this week
Northern Canada could reach 30°C this week as a strong ridge drives a rare May heat wave.
While much of Eastern Canada is still experiencing a wet, slow-moving spring, the North is turning up the heat.
Unseasonable warmth is expected to push temperatures above 30°C across parts of Northern Canada this week—hotter than many southern cities and closer to what you'd expect in July.
This means Yellowknife and Fort Simpson may be basking in the heat while Toronto keeps an umbrella handy.
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It starts in the Gulf of Alaska
Strange enough, this dramatic warm-up isn't random. It starts with a deep trough over the Gulf of Alaska, which will cause a strong southward dip in the jet stream.
That shift then contributes to the formation of a high-pressure ridge over Western and Northern Canada. The deeper the trough digs, the stronger the ridge becomes—and this one is impressive.
Ridges like this compress the air beneath them, warming it and removing clouds. It's the ideal combination of sunshine, dry air and rising temperatures.
Records could be challenged
Northern Canada is no stranger to heat this time of year, but this week's forecast may set some records. Fort Simpson once reached 32.8°C in late May 1995, while Whitehorse has an even higher record of 34.1°C, which was achieved in 1984.
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Even Yellowknife, which is typically cooled by Great Slave Lake, reached 26.3°C on May 21, 2015.
With conditions favourable for another warm surge, some of those records could be put to the test this week as regions south of Great Slave Lake are forecast to push into the low 30s.
Eyes are especially on Fort Smith this week, where temperatures are forecast to reach 32°C on Thursday, which would beat their previous May record of 31.8°C from 1986.
So, while the East continues to wait for more consistent warmth, the North is already feeling the heat—and it's only getting started.
Stay with The Weather Network for more information and updates on your weather across Canada.