Monday, November 2 was a classic fall day on the west side: a frosty start and a surprisingly mild afternoon. The station logged all 24 hourly readings, so the numbers below cover the whole day.
How yesterday went
The low was −3.7 °C, reached between 6 and 7 in the morning, cold enough for frost to start the week. By mid-afternoon, between 2 and 3 pm, the temperature had climbed to 11.9 °C. That’s a swing of more than 15 degrees in about eight hours.
Wind was gentle all day. It averaged 5 km/h, mostly from the south, and the strongest gust was 16 km/h around noon. Four of the 24 hours were calm.
That’s quite a turnaround from late last week. On Friday, October 30, the station’s high only reached 0.6 °C. Since then the afternoons have kept climbing: 4.0 °C on Saturday, 11.3 °C on Sunday and 11.9 °C on Monday.
Today and the rest of the week
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s forecast for Lethbridge, issued early this morning, calls for sunshine today and a high of 14. A south wind near 20 km/h becomes light this morning.
Tonight brings a few clouds and a low of −4, with a wind chill near −9 overnight. Wednesday is mainly sunny and cooler, with a high of 9. Then the warm trend returns: sunny with highs of 13 on Thursday and 14 on Friday, then a mix of sun and cloud with 16 on Saturday and 17 on Sunday.
For comparison, ECCC lists the normal high for this time of year at 7 and the normal low at −5, so this week is running well above normal.
A quick tip
Frosty mornings and mild afternoons are a tricky mix. Give yourself a few extra minutes to clear the windshield, and watch for slick spots in shady places early in the day, even when the afternoon feels like September.
Want more detail? Yesterday at the Station has the full daily summary, and West Side vs. Airport explains why our readings can differ from the airport’s.