Toronto could break a November heat record today as slivers of summer linger - Toronto Star

Temperatures could reach 21 C Wednesday, more than double the seasonal average, before cooling off later this week.

The stretch of warm weather has been driven by air moving north from the American Southwest and Deep South, rather than colder Arctic air.

Toronto could be in for a record-breaking November day Wednesday, with temperatures expected to climb to 21 C, potentially surpassing a high set just four years ago.

The Environment Canada forecast puts Toronto’s high at a possible high of 21 C, more than double the seasonal average of 9 C.

The record for Nov. 4 at Toronto Pearson International Airport is 20.8 C, set in 2022.

Whether Toronto breaks that record will depend partly on how quickly clouds move into the region.

“We’re also seeing on the satellite right now and on the radar some cloud and some showers that will move in this afternoon,” said Geoff Coulson, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

Toronto has already enjoyed several unusually warm days. Temperatures at Pearson reached 23.7 C Tuesday, falling short of the Nov. 3 record of 25 C set in 1961.

“We’re well on the way to approaching that high of 21,” Coulson said.

The stretch of warm weather has been driven by air moving north from the American Southwest and Deep South, rather than colder Arctic air. Earlier in the fall, the Weather Network predicted that much of Canada can expect warmer-than-normal conditions in October and November, with a potentially historic El Nino expected to prolong the season and delay winter’s arrival.

The unusually warm weather stretches back to October, as last month’s average temperature at Pearson was 12.3 C, compared with the long-term average of 10 C.

The warmth is expected to ease heading into the weekend, with highs of 16 C Thursday and 15 C Friday, according to Coulson.

By Sunday, daytime temperatures could return to more seasonal highs of around 8 C.

Matthew Daldalian is a staff reporter with the Star. Reach him via email: mdaldalian@thestar.ca