Alberta likely setting record for warmest fall throughout the province, according to expert

A photo showing downtown Calgary on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.

Calgarians enjoyed another warm weekend as temperatures hovered above six degrees, prompting one climatologist to look to the record books.

According to David Phillips, a climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, this might be Calgary's warmest fall on record.

“it doesn't look like winter, doesn't feel like winter…this is the time when winter should be making a showing,” said Phillips.

Phillips points to the province experiencing warmer weather due to winter not arriving in the north.

“(Winter) can't arrive to the south unless it arrives to the north,” said Phillips. "(The) Arctic (has) been setting records this fall for warmer temperatures. Nature hasn't got the email yet that this is supposed to be winter.”

He added that oceans are still warm, warming the air, which is being pushed in from the west.

The warm fall comes after the province experienced its fourth warmest winter on record and a “fairly warm spring.” 

For this winter, Albertans can expect warmer weather.

“Our preliminary winter look is saying that we think it will be normal to warmer-than-normal in the province and maybe a little wetter than normal," said Phillips."Wetter is not bad when you want to make sure you've got precipitation for skiers, for putting out wildfires next year, for farmers."

Double-edged sword

Sean Stanford is a grain farmer out of McGrath and describes the current weather as a doubled edged sword.

“We're getting lots of field work done, we're getting fertilizer down and all in grain, clean and feed, field work,” said Stanford. “We always need more moisture going into freeze up right away.”

The frozen moisture from the fall carries over into the spring, which Stanford describes “as a big help with next year’s crop.” He is coming out of a “drier season.”

“Moisture is always the biggest concern for a farmer,” said Standford. “It is a concern with the lack of moisture and it is a concern with the wind picking up and pulling out any moisture that is reserved in the ground.”