My Amateur Summer Outlook for 2013

Summer 2013 is on the way and many people are already wondering how the season will turn out after our long winter, glad you asked! 

Before we get to that, we have to deal with the month of June first. It is usually around this time that severe weather starts to arrive as building heat from the United states starts clashing with cool air along frontal systems. Also, don't forget the fact that we can also start seeing heat coming in waves from the states. For example, last year we had gotten quite hot and humid already through the time period of June. Through this June we can expect to see pretty much the same, but a more variable weather pattern is expected as the main storm track situates itself over our region giving us a fair amount of different types of weather. There will be likely periods of warmer than normal temperatures, cooler than normal temperatures and most likely a number of days in a row where we see active weather rolling through as systems march there way across the region. With warmer weather in June we can always anticipate an increase in severe weather as we get into summer.

Temperature Outlook

Summer 2013 will be a fairly nice one for those of you who love heading to the beach, cottage, or camping. Temperatures will not be on the side of below normal so it won't be cold at all, which is great after our long winter. We won't be terribly hot either, we will actually be experiencing a little bit of both; we will be in the near normal zone which means will be dealing with some periods of warmer than usual weather mixed in with colder than normal weather, just like the month of June. We will be experiencing this kind of weather this summer thank's to the abundance of low pressure systems bringing heat and humidity ahead of them and cooler/drier weather behind them. If we have a period where we get upper level ridging and less low pressure systems we might get into a period of sustained warmth but it won't last long, similar to where we had heat in summer of 2012. However, our summer will not be like that at all at this point. Though if you live up in the interlakes expect cooler than normal temperatures to prevail thank's to the ice remnants and cooler than normal waters over North Lake Winnipeg & Manitoba.

Precipitation Outlook

Precipitation through the summer period will be above normal with more severe thunderstorms than normal (like the month of June) especially through areas of southern Manitoba. An abundant amount of low pressure systems will allow building heat & humidity from the USA to clash with the cooler air up North. Picture it as oil and water they don't mix well. This in turn will result in the likelihood of severe weather outbreaks quite frequently, bringing the threat forward for all types of severe weather including tornadoes. The most known types of severe weather include squall lines, bow echoes, derechos, MCS, MCC's, supercells and don't forget tornadoes. Localized flooding could also be a possibility during and after severe thunderstorm events. The most likely period for this active weather will be through the month's of June and July, with the month of August also a possibility. Overall the active summer weather will be sure to bring all of those well known storm chasers into the province, and keep those who chase on a regular basis quite busy! Don't forget all of the weather enthusiasts out there who have been waiting a long time for this to take place. If anyone asks about our Summer ahead, tell them we'll have a variable temperature pattern and wet weather with a bunch of opportunities here and there to take in the sun. 

The pattern for summer could change that it is why I will be watching carefully and updating as needed. In the meantime this is how it look's. (Summer Outlook Information was provided by Brett Anderson of Accuweather, Graphics and expanded thought's were my own)