THUNDER BAY -- Environment Canada is forecasting unseasonably mild weather for the area into early next week, which is good news for contractors trying to finish off outdoor projects before freeze-up.
The seven-day outlook calls for high temperatures on most days to range between 11 C and 14 C right through Nov. 7.
Meteorologist Jeff Coulson calls the weather pattern "very non-November-like," explaining it's due to a big area of high pressure that has entrenched itself in the American mid-west.
He said it's "literally deflecting the weather systems and the coldest air, keeping them farther north" over the northern prairies.
Coulson said some colder air will make its way into northern parts of northwestern Ontario but forecasters don't expect it to reach southward to the area between Lake of the Woods and Thunder Bay.
Environment Canada records show the temperature trend swinging well above what's normally expected for this time of year. The typical maximum in Thunder Bay in early November is 5 C.
But Coulson doesn't expect any records to be broken during this mild spell. Thunder Bay has previously seen highs of 18 C to 21 C, "so we're going to fall short of record temperatures but we will be well above normal," he said.
Forecast models show a return to more seasonal temperatures in the second half of next week, but he said there is no indication yet of winter-like conditions or significant snow in the forecast, something he describes as "unusual as we head into the month of November."
