Brace for ‘ice-cream’ weather, climatologist tells Regina

Regina won’t see a heat warning from Environment Canada on Tuesday, but the daytime high of 31 C will still get people sweating.

“It’s going to be an ice-cream kind of day,” said senior climatologist David Phillips on the 980 CJME Greg Morgan Morning Show.

“That’s the warmest you’ve had all summer. I think people were thinking that their summer was the last three days of May and the first three days of June, because that’s when you had five days above 30 C … it’s been a long time coming.”

Heat warnings are issued depending on location in the province.

North and central Saskatchewan need to see two or more days where the highest temperature is 29 C or warmer, with nights above 14 C and a humidex value at 34.

In the south, the threshold is 32 C for two or more days, nights above 16 C and the humidex at 38.

This week, Phillips forecasted a possible thunderstorm on Wednesday in Regina.

“But then after that, three delightful days. Warm, dry, good growing, good beaching weather,” he said.

Last year, there were more hot days above 30 C in August than in July. That has him believing that the hot, summer weather is just beginning.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the dog days of summer quite yet,” he said. “My sense is maybe what you see is what you’ll continue to get, hopefully until Labour Day.”