As autumn begins to settle in, residents in the Southwest can expect above-average temperatures in the following months. 

Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, shared her insight on the seasonal changes. 

“For September, October, and November, the fall forecast is for above-average temperatures and there's no real pattern indicated for precipitation,” she elaborated. 

Lang added that residents shouldn’t put too much emphasis on precipitation predictions, as these tend to be challenging to forecast accurately. 

The experienced meteorologist also addressed the potential for heat waves in the coming weeks.  

"It depends on what you define as a heat event, but I think that we will probably see some heat,” she stated. “September's proven in the past to give us some really warm days. Just looking at the records for September, they're into the mid-30s even at the end of September. So, we know that it's possible to get heat in September.” 

While the Southwest braces for warmer fall temperatures, Lang also emphasized the ongoing issue of wildfire smoke. 

“I think people should be prepared to be dealing with the smoke probably until the snow flies,” she stated. “There's still lots of fires burning and just with the weather patterns the way they are, it's going to be in and out. So, folks should be prepared for that."  

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