Record heat ends a fairly typical Nova Scotia spring

We are now into summer, closing out what was a "typical" spring for the province this year.

As we know, spring weather in Nova Scotia is usually anything but typical. 

This year was no exception. We had some cold snaps, torrential rain, thunderstorms and even some late-season frost advisories. And temperatures over the last two days hit record-setting highs in parts of Cape Breton.

When averaged out though, both temperatures and precipitation finished close to climate normal. Yarmouth, Sydney and Halifax all finished within a few tenths of a degree for mean temperatures this spring.

Spring rainfall amounts close to normal

Precipitation amounts were close to normal as well, with a few exceptions.

It was a little soggier in the southwest with Yarmouth seeing 50 millimetres more rain than a typical spring — about two rainy days worth, or one big storm. Halifax fell shy of the spring normal by about 20 millimetres, and Sydney was within 10 millimetres of typical spring rainfall amounts. 

To no one's surprise, May was the wettest month this spring.

Which is a good thing as we are about to head into our two driest months, July and August.

We certainly don't want a repeat of the last summer's drought conditions which affected most of the province.

Temperatures soared in Cape Breton

Cape Breton closed out spring and entered summer on a high-temperature note. In the two days, the island has seen more sun and experienced less of a cool on-shore wind than the mainland.

Here are a few areas that experienced recording-setting temperatures:

• Cheticamp hit consecutive highs of 28.9 degrees on June 19 and 20.
• Ingonish Beach hit 31.9 and 30.9 on June 19 and 20, respectively. 
• North Mountain hit 25.6 and 27.1 on June 19 and 20, respectively. 

Sydney reached 29.4 on June 19 and 27.4 on the June 20 but fell shy of standing records which are in the low 30s.

A passing cold front tonight will keep Nova Scotia highs mostly in the low 20s, from Thursday through the weekend, with no scorching record temperatures anticipated.