After last posting in June, I think I owe you at least some kind of report.  At about the same time Stewarts summer arrived, so did ours - since late June we've had successive hot and sunny days.  Not unbroken, with thunderstorms and showers from time to time helping keep the garden growing.

Talking about that a couple of days ago we got deluged with marble sized hail - looked pretty nasty at the time, but as it didn't get any bigger we avoided bringing in the insurance.  Still, it left everything whiter for a while:

Apart from today, which is cooler and wet, the good weather stays - up to the low 30s in a couple days time - hoping the weather will hold for camping!

For those who are interested in stats - here's last seasons: 

July 2011 - June 2012 Stats
Elevation: 1084m
Latitude: 51° 6' N
Warmest Temperature: 30.4c 29/08/11
Coldest Temperature: -32.4c 18/01/12
Days with thunderstorms: 9
Days with rain falling: 55
Days with snow falling: 46
Days with snow lying: 103
Maximum snow depth: 6" (15cm)
Current snow depth 0" (0cm)

Maybe the thing here is to compare it to last year's 156 days of snow lying.  2011/12 was the warmest / driest winter since 05/06.  Not that I was complaining too much, 100 days of lying snow is still plenty!

Peter

July 2011 - June 2012 Stats
Elevation: 1084m
Latitude: 51° 6' N
Warmest Temperature: 30.5c 09/07/12
Coldest Temperature: 5.0c 05/07/12
Days with thunderstorms: 6
Days with rain falling: 9
Days with snow falling: 0
Days with snow lying: 0
Maximum snow depth: 0" (0cm)
Current snow depth 0" (0cm)

30 and humid in Toronto - some big storms the other day which closed the airport for several hours, looks like it might cool down a bit next week, fingers crossed!

Looks like the west coast of Canada and the Pacific NW of America could get some decent heat building this weekend, while quite a meaty cold front pushes east out of the eastern seaboard at the same time - could be some interesting weather out of that? 

All these reports of hot and sunny weather across NA are making me jealous!

Anyway, the heat Peter was talking about expands into the Pacific Northwest this weekend with both Seattle and Vancouver likely to see temperatures above 32c/90f (away from the immediate coast).

Meanwhile a nice piece on the hot July just passed: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/lundberg/new-month-same/68765 Hottest July on record in Denver, CO.

Also hot in Toronto as a few of us have been reporting: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1235075--july-weather-a-month-of-extremes It ended up very similar to July 2002 with a mean temp of 24.3c (24.2c in 2002). 1999 also saw a mean temp of 24.3c.

Meanwhile the heat in the Plains in the US just goes on. Oklahoma City hit 113f yesterday, tying the all-time record, which was set in the dustbowl era of the 1930s. http://www.news9.com/story/19195290/oklahoma-city-breaks-ties-temperature-records

Enjoy your weekend!

32C here in Cancun!! - Apparently there is a small possibility of a tropical storm developing and heading right over Yucatan, hope it doesn't hit Cancun!

Was very humid last night! I could see flashes of lightning out to sea - towards the Gulf of Mexico!!

Hot and very humid at 32C with lightning in the distance over caribbean sea - Lot's of wind too but looks like tropical storm Ernesto is heading to the south of Cancun and nearer to Belize!

Certainly interesting weather, but not quite what I'd be looking for on holiday, I have to say!

There's been a much looked for pattern change in the North American weather this week, with cooler, more unsettled weather and some storms getting into the drought-ravaged Midwest. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/blistering-heat-is-history-in/69585

The cooldown has even reached Oklahoma City where the run of 100f days ended and temps dropped back into the upper 90s - which I guess is a bit more manageable!

This pattern has seen storms drive through the Great Lakes and it was cool in Toronto yesterday, a max of only 21c with showers about and the roof closed at the Rogers Centre for the Blue Jays/Yankees game (unfortunately the latter team won - the former has been ravaged by injury of late).

In contrast to the very hot July, August has been significantly cooler in T.O. with just two >30c days. While it warms back up into the mid and upper 20s there are no 30c days in the forecast through next weekend. There's been some cool single digit lows in northern Ontario this week and it won't be too long until we can start looking for frosts up there, or out on the Prairies. Especially if the long range ECM is correct: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/weekly-long-range-forecast-model-outlook-into-september/69591

Certainly the warm west cooler east (especially Midwest and Great Lakes) theme looks like continuing for a while and shows up well on the latest GFS runs. It iis still summer though, it's not exactly going to be cold!

A wonderful week upcoming for Vancouver: http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-74_metric_e.html

Hello folks, work has again prevented me from gettinga round to an update, so apologies for this! Finally got a few mins to myself so here goes.

Much cooler generally in August so far compared with June/July in Southern Ontario. Yesterday we reached 23c, today only 21c and a stiff breeze blowing too. It is as if, the weather is preparing itself for the long road down into winter already. Having said that, i for one am glad for a period of cooler conditions, i like the heat but days on end of it was fairly extreme for Ontario, however well in advanced it was forecasted by Brett Anderson over on Accuweather during the Spring.

There has been plenty of evenings out in the garden and barbecues where possible mixed with the twice weekly commute to Toronto at the minute, should be glad its just twice a week (for now) as always our wonderful highway system rarely fails to deliver frustration by the bucketloads!

Never managed to post some pics when i was off that time for the Canadian Open at Ancaster, so here goes for now :

Dundas Valley from Dundas Mountain with the railway to Toronto



Hwy 6 up the escarpment towards our home



The Dundas Conservation Area



Downtown Hamilton from Dundas Mountain about 8km away!



The sun sets on another roaster in Southern Ontario



Taken from Polsten Pier looking towards the Toronto Skyline



Toronto Island Airport from the CN Tower, taken during the family visit in June 2012



The Toronto Islands in the background as a Porter Airlines Dash 8 is on finals to Toronto Island Airport



Niagara Falls, the American Falls



Niagara Falls, the Canadian Falls. Been here a few times now and it still is AWESOME!!!



Dundas & Yonge on Downtown Toronto on Concert night



Yonge Street towards Dundas square in the heart of Toronto, Ontario



The CN Tower & Toronto Skydome (home of the Injury Plagued Blue Jays this season!) taken from the Ongaria Ro-ro ferry from Hanlon's point, Toronto Island to the Harbourfront Centre.

Great memories of the summer holiday there for me, a brill summer of weather generally. Looking at the minute to possibly come over to Scotland in September for a week or two, not confirmed yet. Just in-time for the first ex-Atlantic hurricane to plough into W Scotland no doubt!

Have a great weekend everyone, Take Care

Just to prove it rains in the desert in the summer, here is Vegas today.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/thunderstorms-bring-flash-flood-warning-for-clark-county-167051235.html

I had observed that and I always noticed that when it there are rain coming off from the Pacific, it always travel along the strip of the desert valley area and hit Las Vegas every time while Death Valley miss most of the time but yesterday a rogue rain shower passed there and deposited 1mm of rain.  I remembered my neighbour who went to Las Vegas some years back experieneced the same flooding in July with roads become a river and minor floodings the entrances on some buildings.  I also remember the flash flooding in Los Angeles in 1983 when I stayed there for 5 weeks, first and third one was slight rainfall but the 2nd one, wow it was stunning to watch it and violent thunderstorms.  I still have a very clear picture of that intense rainfall and loved every minute of it with my uncles watching it.

And a little bit more on the unusual Vegas weather: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/clark/wild-weather-day-on-the-strip/70692

Some great pics there Stewart, thanks for posting.

According to Brett's take on the ECM long ranger, more dry and warm weather on the way for many in North America in September: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/new-weekly-long-range-forecast-model-update-1/70838 and a warm Fall in prospect for much of Canada http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/new-weekly-long-range-forecast-model-update-1/70838

Usual pinch of salt rules apply, of course.

After the cool spell Stewart describes above it's been warming up again in Southern Ontario...back to 30c or just above for T.O. this weekend.

There's a dedicated thread for the Atlantic hurricane season so I won't say much here other than Isaac looks a threat to western Fllorida and then the gulf coast over the next few days: http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/atlantic-depression-storm-nine-20120817 THough I see Henry M was still going with a east coast of FL and Carolinas path as late as yesterday: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/meteomadness/isaac-still-committed-to-east-coast-of-florida-to-s-carolina/70745

Oh hello! - Mini heatwave in the western Canadian Prairies - Calgary!? - Must be a near record high!? +30C!

http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/weather/s0000047.html

Stair rods in TO this evening. I got drenched going to catch the streetcar this morning and looks like I may well get drenched again going home! The weather has been much more bearable heat-wise of late as has been mentioned by Stewart (good pics!) but looking ahead to the long weekend coming up it seems as though we could be facing a typical British bank holiday situation with the remnants of that hurricane drifting across on the Monday. Still plenty of time for that to change though so fingers crossed it passes further south. 

Looks like the majority of the Canadian Prairies is in for an extended summer!?

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/anderson/long-range-forecast-model-update-5/71192

Hi folks, currently 23c and fair weather clouds in Hamilton, very pleasant afternoon. Weather is set to warm-up for the weekend, maybe as high as 32c/90f for the first weekend in September, not bad at all. This followes some stormy weather that rolled thru earlier in the week, spectacular lightning and typical weather for this August, hot often humid and sometiems stormy.

Of course the big news story this week has been Isaac. Upgraded to a Cat1 storm yesterday, now in the last half hour or so downgraded back to a Tropical Storm. But what a storm for the Gulf Coast and New Orleans to deal with in the coincedance that is 7yrs to the day since Hurricane Katrina all but wiped out whole chunks of the coastline and it's communities. Isaac has winds gusting to 100mph but it's the 6-12ft storm surge and potential for 20" of rain that is and will make the headlines down there. So far, the levees have held for the most part - some of the coastal flooding in MS is spectacular and as always the coverage i've managed to catch on TV has been dramatic.

Some of Isaac's rain will help the drought ravaged Mid-West come the weekend before it potentially impacts Ontario early next week probably not even by that time an xtra-tropical depression with Mon & tue's forecast at the minute looking grotty, dreich (and all those ol' scottish words!)

Finally, flying home to Scotland on September 15 for a week before heading South to visit family the following week. Really looking forward to it. I've been gtold it's typical wet and sodden in Western Scotland and it isn't even Fall (Sorry, Autumn!) yet

Take Care

A taste a fall for Southern Ontario this weekend :

Special weather statement updated by Environment Canada at 11:03 AM
EDT Friday 7 September 2012.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Special weather statement for:
      City of Toronto
      Windsor - Essex - Chatham-Kent
      Sarnia - Lambton
      Elgin
      London - Middlesex
      Simcoe - Delhi - Norfolk
      Oxford - Brant
      Niagara
      City of Hamilton
      Halton - Peel
      York - Durham
      Huron - Perth
      Waterloo - Wellington
      Dufferin - Innisfil
      Grey - Bruce
      Barrie - Orillia - Midland
      Belleville - Quinte - Northumberland
      Kingston - Prince Edward
      Peterborough - Kawartha Lakes
      Stirling - Tweed - South Frontenac
      Bancroft - Bon Echo Park
      Brockville - Leeds and Grenville
      City of Ottawa
      Gatineau
      Smiths Falls - Lanark - Sharbot Lake
      Parry Sound - Muskoka
      Haliburton
      Renfrew - Pembroke - Barry's Bay
      Algonquin
      Burk's Falls - Bayfield Inlet.

      Significant rainfall on tap tonight into Saturday.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
==discussion==
A low pressure area over the midwestern states is forecast to track
towards the Great Lakes today then intensify as it moves across
Southern Ontario into Quebec on Saturday.

This disturbance will be quite laden with moisture and is expected to
bring a general 20 to 40 mm rainfall across much of the district by
Saturday evening.

A few local rainfall amounts near 50 mm are possible in areas that
receive a thunderstorm or two.

In the wake of this disturbance later Saturday and into Sunday,
considerably cooler air ushered in by brisk northwesterly winds will
bring a taste of fall to Southern Ontario.

Environment Canada is monitoring this situation closely.

The public is advised to monitor future forecasts and warnings as
warnings may be required or extended.

Please monitor the latest forecasts and warnings from Environment
Canada at www.weatheroffice.gc.ca

Two significant events this weekend across the GTA, Saturday's rainfall will be first full wet day forecast for many parts of Ontario excluding summer Thunderstorms that we have seen since last Spring and the totals of upto 40mm will bring much needed rain but also problems potentially with flooding. This storm has a second twist, a reminder that September is here and with it a drop in temps. Unclear at the minute what will happen on Sunday, EC have temps nearer 20c but some local forecasts call for as low as 15c come the end of the weekend. A real taste of Fall.

Jumpers at the ready!!!

Elsewhere in Canada, TS Leslie is tracking a path towards Atlantic Canada for the early next week. The ex-hurricane could still strengthen back to hurricane status and Environment Canada are watching developments closely - http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/hurricane/statements_e.html

Have a great weekend everyone!

As forecast, a very wet day for Southern Ontario on Saturday :

==weather event discussion==

Saturday was a wet day for many portions of Southern Ontario. A low
pressure system from the American midwestern states was responsible
for bringing the wide swath of rain Friday night into Saturday.
Regions which were affected included areas located east of London
towards Ottawa and north to the Nickel Belt.

A general rainfall amount of 30 to 50 mm of rain fell across the
affected area with locally higher amounts, over 70 mm reported, when
scattered thunderstorms rolled through.

The following is a summary of the most significant rainfall reports
Environment Canada has received as of 8:00 PM Saturday.

Location                    rainfall amount (mm)
Goderich                        36.6
Delhi                           39.4
Tillsonburg                     36.2
Kitchener                       40.0 (unofficial observation)
Mount Forest                    55.4
Luther                          35.4
Dundalk                         55.8
Hamilton airport                33.2
Byng (near Dunnville)           40.8
Welland                         47.6
Grimsby                         44.7
Toronto Pearson airport         31.8
Toronto Buttonville airport     36.4
Toronto downtown                42.1
Oshawa airport                  45.0
Trenton                         61.8
Wiarton airport                 41.6
Collingwood                     66.3
Barrie                          73.8
Borden                          34.0
Muskoka airport                 44.2
Beatrice                        55.3
Algonquin Park                  32.8
Ottawa airport                  37.4


Dundalk, byng, and luther reports courtesy of the Grand Valley
conservation authority.

This weather summary contains preliminary information and may not
constitute an official or final report.

It is much fresher but not as cold as some were predicting in the wake of the cold front. Temps 19c/66f this afternoon. This being the same cold front that brought several reports of Tornado or funnel-clouds in the NYC area and delayed the Men's singles final to Monday at Flushing Meadows.

Temps across the GTA recovering to values nearer what we have seen for most of the past 12 weeks or so early next week with highs between 24-27c.

Take Care

Just a  quick update.  The weather has been pretty great this summer, and it continues.  We've been about 5-10c above normal most days in September, indeed this weekend stays in the mid-20s.  Not bad at all!   We've had a couple of light frosts, but nothing killing yet.  I'm sure it will change soon enough, but I'll enjoy all the good weather for as long as I can get it!

Peter

July 2012 - June 2013 Stats
Elevation: 1084m
Latitude: 51° 6' N
Warmest Temperature: 30.5c 09/07/12 (latest data missing)
Coldest Temperature: 5.0c 05/07/12 (latest data missing)
Days with thunderstorms: 8
Days with rain falling: 16
Days with snow falling: 0
Days with snow lying: 0
Maximum snow depth: 0" (0cm)
Current snow depth 0" (0cm)

Afternoon all,

Been a few weeks since I posted on this thread - just swamped with work and other stuff.

In the interim Fall has definitely arrived for many, especially through the Midwest and Great Lakes, while the west has seen summer continue (as Peter reports). Distinctly chilly in Winnipeg this morning with the temp currently -6c, while it's a balmy +8c in Calgary where highs again today will be in the mid 20s celsius - glorious for late September!

Much cooler in southern Ontario this afternoon with highs in T.O. just 14c, well below average. Out east it's been a warm summer for Atlantic Canada and this continues with highs generally in the low 20s this weekend.

The cool air over central NA led to some very early season snowfall in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin on Friday night, while today it could potentially lead to waterspouts over the warm waters of the Great Lakes - just a bit early for lake-effect snow: http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/waterspout-sunday-in-store-for/77376

Stewart, not much to say about the Blue Jays as they have fallen off a cliff since late July and the season really has had to be written off to injuries. It's all about the off-season now and what approach will be taken to build a team able to contend in 2013.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

September has truly been special - sitting here at the end of September and the temperature is 27c - 12c above the average.  We had a couple of unsettled days with a bit of rain, but normal service has now been resumed.

'Normal' for September, anyway.  October unfortunately looks like a different story, at least so far.  We lose the heat come Monday - and the first part of the week looks to be highs in the high single digits, lows around 0c.   Oh well, it could not last forever!

Peter

July 2012 - June 2013 Stats
Elevation: 1084m
Latitude: 51° 6' N
Warmest Temperature: 30.5c 09/07/12
Coldest Temperature: 1.2c 12/09/12
Days with thunderstorms: 8
Days with rain falling: 18
Days with snow falling: 0
Days with snow lying: 0
Maximum snow depth: 0" (0cm)
Current snow depth 0" (0cm)

Looks like you are in for a shock, but this is normal to Calgarian's anyway! Currently 23C at 3pm yet tomorrow you could see some snow according to the CBC weather.

http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/weather/s0000047.html

I doubt it will settle! - How are your tomatoes doing this year?

Hello folks, can't remember the last time i got the chance to post on here so hopefully everyone is doing well. How's Fife Graeme? I was over in Scotland for 10days in the end (again due to work commitments i would have loved to have stayed longer!) and it's turned pretty cool over there for the time of year with highs while i was there between 10-14c, quite abit below normal for September from what i remembered. Of course, this was drizzled with the usual dozage of rain and wind! Now it's October, it's proper dark around 7pm and not that long till the real fun weather starts!

Similar conditions but just a wee bit milder to be fair back here in Ontario. Temps between 17-19c generally over the weekend just gone and will stay that way during this week. Alot of cloud around and quite breezy. Cloud, not something that was readily seen around these parts during the summer, a shock in itself!

Temps here look to alsogo downhill as next weekend approaches with highs forecast on EC around 10-12c. We've had a gradual introduction to Fall so far, further West in Canada it seems that Peter has had a great spell of weather for the time of year and settled by Calgary standards. Not long i'm sure until you have your first snows Peter, something that we are gradually (when i get the time!) preparing for.

Some showers in forecast for this week across Southern Ontario and more general rain possible for later in the week. More Autumnal as October starts!

Take Care