THUNDER BAY — One new record has been set already, and another is just days away, as the Thunder Bay region continues to enjoy abnormally mild temperatures.
Local climatologist Graham Saunders says Thunder Bay has never gone this late into the year without seeing its first official frost.
The old record was Oct. 8, 2016.
There's also a good chance Thunder Bay will set a new record for the longest run of frost-free days.
The record of 139 days was also established in 2016.
Saunders told TBNewswatch that as of Tuesday, the city has enjoyed 136 consecutive days of above-zero weather at Thunder Bay Airport.
He noted, "As gardeners know, frost in September is almost a certainty, and is possible in August, especially in some rural locations."
According to Saunders, the average date of the first fall frost at the airport was Sept. 8 to 10 in the mid-20th century, but typically is now a week later..
He said the current run of above-freezing temperatures has allowed pole beans and cucumbers to continue to grow in area gardens.
It's possible the first frost at the airport could be registered by Sunday, when the overnight low is currently projected to sink to 1 C.
However, Environment Canada expects the Thunder Bay region generally will continue to enjoy milder-than-normal weather through most of October and possibly into November.
"It's looking like it's going to last through to the end of the month right now," said Environment Canada meteorologist Steven Flisfeder. "There are still indicators that it's going to last through the end of October into early November."
The Weather Network's long-range forecast for Thunder Bay also calls for mostly above-normal temperatures for the next couple of weeks.
