Southern Ontario welcomes record heat Friday | News

Enjoy the mild weather while you can.

Double-digit daytime highs predicted for Friday across much of southern Ontario could be record breaking.

But that won't last long, said Trudy Kidd, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, who said that while Friday's highs may be record highs, temperatures will return to seasonal levels.

According to Environment Canada, high temperatures of 12 C predicted for places like Hamilton, Newmarket and Mississauga's Pearson Airport will easily break their previous highs. The real hot spot is Windsor at 16C, which also breaks its previous high.

“Right now, we're watching a low pressure system move across northern Ontario and that will allow a steady flow of warm air from the south into the province. That's why we're seeing those warm temperatures,” Kidd explained.

It won't last through the weekend, but will drop to a modest 7 degrees at Hamilton, Newmarket and Pearson airports on Saturday and just above zero on Sunday.

“The winter coats can be taken out tomorrow, maybe even Saturday, depending on your comfort level, but then we'll get back to it,” Kidd said Thursday.

For most of Southern Ontario, the normal daytime high for this time of year is about -2 degrees, and the nighttime low is -10 degrees.

“We expect the rest of February and even the next four weeks to be very close to normal,” Kidd added.

With temperatures expected to stay at or below freezing in the coming weeks, Kidd noted there will be plenty of opportunities for snow, sleet and sleet.

“Experience shows that even when we see really anomalously warm periods, it comes back again.”