Moose Jaw records 7th warmest, 11th driest September on record

Moose Jaw residents like most of the province were able to prolong their summer activities in September due to the very favourable weather.  

Environment Canada released its temperature and precipitation statistics for September. The data showed that Moose Jaw finished in the top 10 warmest months of September recorded.  

“It was a warm September for all of western Canada and in particular Saskatchewan,” says Meteorologist, Terri Lang. “Moose Jaw in particular with 3.2 degrees Celsius above the average temperature. It came in as the seventh warmest September on record and that’s in 127 years of records.” 

Moose Jaw finished the month with an average mean temperature of 15.6 degrees, a lot warmer than the 12.4-degree average. In September, Moose Jaw had eight days over 30 degrees, which Lang says is unusual but not uncommon 

Key Lake and Swift Current were the winners in the province coming in with their fourth warmest September. Swift Current was four degrees warmer than its 16-degree average.  

Langs adds that the one thing that stood out to her in September was widespread killing frost was virtually non-existent.  

“The farmers really went late getting it, and still some places still haven’t gotten their killing frost and are likely to get it overnight Wednesday into Thursday. There were a number of record-breaking days, especially towards the end of September.” 

Those warm temperatures are expected to end on Wednesday as it is forecasted to get up to a high of 14, with an overnight low of -5 degrees. 

On September 28, Moose Jaw broke a 55-year-old heat record. On that day, the mercury reached 30.8 C at CFB Moose Jaw by around 4:00 p.m. The old record, 30.6 C, for September 28 was set back in 1967 at CFB Moose Jaw. 

Photo credit: Environment and Climate Change Canada

The warm temperatures were caused by a big ridge of high pressure covering most of western Canada. The ridge of high pressure also acted as a blocking mechanism – limiting weather systems. Though it’s very nice to have those favourable temperatures in September, it also caused Moose Jaw and the province to have more of a drier month.  

“All of Saskatchewan was on the dry side. Moose Jaw in particular only came in with 4.6 millimetres of rain, compared to the average of 34 mm – that's only 14 per cent of normal, so it's the11th driest on record."

La Ronge came in with their second driest September on record, only receiving 8.9 mm, which equaled 16 per cent of their 56.1 mm average. Swift Current like Moose Jaw also had their 11th driest September only recording 4.6 mm, 13 per cent of their average.  

This drier than normal September helped the farmers harvest their crops later into the month, allowing them to get ahead of the game, but are hopeful more rain will come in October to rejuvenate their fields.  

Photo credit: Environment and Climate Change Canada