Fire and Ice

Gustav this afternoon.

My column this week in the Kemptville Advance was about the signs of fall. They are upon us, none more obvious then the maples that have begun to change color here in North Grenville. There is also the cool nights and the heavy dew. It was 6C in Kemptville this morning. So as I sit here listening to the Yankees and Red Sox and track hurricane Gustav as we approach Labor Day, all the signs are there, but I still can't believe it. What happened to summer? Oh my all the rain and clouds. Let's hope September is sunny and warm just like the last two years. I must tell you I am not prepared to say goodbye to a season that really never came.

I have a few interesting tidbits from the world of weather over the last 24 hours. It was hot in Saskatchewan yesterday, temperatures were in the mid 30's with a record 39.4C in Val Marie. That came ever so close to the all time record warm day recorded in Canada set in Yellowgrass, Sask. black on July 5, 1937 of 45C (113F). Another hot spot yesterday was 37C in Assiniboia, or 100F. Today, not so hot, it is down to 10C in Swift Current, and 16C in Assiniboia.

Meanwhile the cold airmass in the east has led to frost advisories across the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Temperatures will dip close to freezing tonight. Frost may also occur in parts of southern Quebec and the Green Mountains.

Hurricane Gustav is hitting the south coast of Haiti at this hour. The storm has 75mph winds and is expected to move across that country and along the Cuban coast on Wednesday. Expect Gustav to become a major category three Hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico by Thursday. After that models have him all over the Gulf. All interests should pay close attention to the forecast of this very dangerous storm. There are three other areas of interest in parts of the Atlantic basin as we enter the most active time of the hurricane season.