The reason why one expert says July has been cooler in southern Manitoba

A rainbow stretches over Brereton Lake in the Whiteshell on July 15, 2023. (Source: Laureen Boyd)

July is supposed to be the hottest month of the year in Manitoba, especially southern Manitoba, but it has yet to reach its full potential and repeat past performances.

It was expected July would follow up a scorching June and the heatwave would keep on rolling through the summer, however, that hasn't been the case.

Natalie Hasell, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), said southern Manitoba has been dealing with an air mass that has travelled down from the north, leading to cooler temperatures.

"The temperatures have been cooler than normal. You’re not imagining things," said Hasell. "We did start off pretty warm this July and we had a few other days where things were a bit warmer. But, repeatedly though, we have been under the influence of these structures leading to cold frontal passages."

To date, Hasell said temperatures for July have been below average, saying some days have even felt quite brisk.

It appears though, those cooler days may be in the rear-view mirror. Hasell said this week is warming up and by the time the weekend rolls around, people in the southern half of the province should expect to see a return to more normal July temperatures.

"We are looking at a high of 31 on Saturday, a high of 31 on Sunday. So that'll feel a lot more like what most people think July is like in southern Manitoba."

As for what the rest of the summer holds, Hasell said previous trends showed August and September would be warmer months, but the cooler July has left things up in the air.

"For the 17th of July to the 14th of August, this forecast does not have the dominant trend for most of southern Manitoba. So it could go either way," she said. "I think it's the cold now with the warmth coming up that is maybe cancelling each other out. But again, we'll have to wait and see."