The dramatic start to Canada's fall weather is expected to give way to warmer temperatures in the middle of the season but not before a possibly abrupt transition into early winter.
That's according to the Weather Network's newly issued seasonal forecast for September, October and November.
The forecast says for much of Canada, above-normal temperatures and fewer storms will dominate from mid-September through October.
But those mild temperatures are expected to give way to more active and changeable conditions in November, typical of late fall.
Those storms are expected to help bring much of Canada up to near-normal precipitation levels for the season.
The forecast suggests some areas could end up wetter than normal, including the B.C. coast and a band of northeastern Ontario through Quebec and into Labrador.
The network's senior meteorologist Doug Gillham says the near-normal precipitation forecast will likely come as welcome news to parched parts of the northern Prairies where drought conditions have persisted through the summer.
Yet, he says the "biggest question mark" on the season's precipitation forecast may be Atlantic Canada.
Most of the region has been exceptionally dry and the forecast is calling for fewer fall storms there too.
But Gillham says with activity set to pick up in the second half of hurricane season, all it takes is one tropical storm to have a significant impact on the region.