It’s been a bit rainy this week, so everyone’s wondering whether summer will be prime for patio outings. The answer is yes, for the most part, though maybe not without a few soggy interruptions.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a hotter-than-normal summer across much of the country, including southern Quebec, the Prairies and southern British Columbia. Northern regions, including Yukon and the Northwest Territories, are also likely to see above-average warmth, with the most widespread heat expected in July and August.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean one long, dry stretch of beach weather for Toronto. While the Almanac says Southern Ontario will see a split between cooler conditions in the east and warmer temperatures in the west, Toronto appears to fall closer to the warmer western side of that regional outlook, but with wetter-than-normal conditions also expected. So, enjoy your cottage getaways and patio drinks this summer, just keep an umbrella close by.
And we also have to get through a few more weeks of spring! Expect “rain and showers, then sunny and chilly” from April 16 to 25, and “a few showers and cool” to close out the month. The Almanac’s monthly summary predicts that April will average about 5 C in Toronto overall, which is about 1 C below normal, with 75 mm of precipitation, or about 5 mm above average.
May looks a bit milder, starting cool with some sun and showers before turning warmer later in the month, including the chance of scattered thunderstorms. The Almanac estimates that May will average 11 C overall, which is also 1 C below normal, with 90 mm of precipitation.
Looking ahead, the Almanac’s long-range forecasts for both Toronto and Southern Ontario expect September and October to be cooler than normal, with above-normal precipitation still hanging around.
Still, the longer-range Toronto outlook doesn’t necessarily mean the year will be cool overall, at least globally. In January, Environment and Climate Change Canada said 2026 is likely to rank among the hottest years on record globally, with the 2026 to 2030 period expected to be the hottest five-year stretch on record.
