Corner Brook -
A stormier than normal fall is causing havoc with the weather.
Herb Toms, weather preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada in Gander, said the west coast has had some wild weather swings this fall.
That's due in large part to an unusual number of strong storm systems going through the neighbourhood.
The storm's track can bring warm weather or cold weather, depending on whether it's toward the east or west, but normally leaves shivering people in its wake.
"Most of the island has been getting on the warm side of these recent systems," Toms said. "That's why you see the temperatures going up into the double-digits."
Some days have started off with warm temperatures and by afternoon the snow is taking a bite out of visibility. Because the systems push warm air ahead of them the temperature can be high until they arrive, then cold and snow follows.
As of Thursday afternoon a fairly intense low was beginning to track through the western region, bringing rain and relatively warm temperatures. Sunday the system is forecast to change from showers to flurries through early next week.
A couple of particularly strong storm systems kicked off the trend in mid-October, warming things up before dumping tens of centimetres of snow on the west coast.
Gander set a record for most snowfall in one October day with 40 centimetres on Oct. 17. The barometric pressure hit a low of 960 kilopascals during that storm.
"That's not normal," Toms said. "Usually those deep systems like that would occur in January or February month. That's when they're most common.
"That's not to say similar conditions haven't happened like this before, but it's not normal for it to happen in October and November. The intensity of the storms is giving us the big swings, somewhat due to the tracks as well. There have been a fair number of intense storms go through this fall."
