Record-breaking heat arrived in the Centre-du-Québec region on Wednesday, November 4, as unseasonably warm air pushed temperatures past previous historical highs.
In Drummondville, the mercury climbed to 21.6 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon, while Victoriaville recorded a peak of 20.6 degrees. These figures surpassed the previous November records set in 2022, when temperatures reached 19.4 degrees in Drummondville and 19.6 degrees in Victoriaville.
Meteorological cause of the heat spike
Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault stated that the warm weather was driven by a mass of air warmer than the seasonal norm moving into the region. This air mass was associated with a rainy weather system that was positioned over Ontario before moving into Quebec.
Because there was no significant cold front immediately following the system, the cooling process is expected to be gradual. Forecasts for Thursday suggest a maximum temperature of 16 degrees in both cities. While this represents a decrease from Wednesday’s peak, it remains above the seasonal normals.
Historical climate context
The recent temperatures stand in sharp contrast to the region’s typical climate data. Environment Canada records from the 1991–2020 period indicate that the average temperature for November is 2.2 degrees in Drummondville and 1.2 degrees in Arthabaska.
Warm air mass from Ontario drives record November temperatures
Why were the temperatures so high for November?
The surge was caused by a warm air mass pushed into the region by a rainy weather system that was over Ontario. Environment Canada noted that the lack of a significant cold front meant the mercury would decrease only gradually.
How do these temperatures compare to the long-term averages?
The records set on November 4 are substantially higher than the 1991–2020 climate normals. Average temperatures for the month are typically 2.2 degrees in Drummondville and 1.2 degrees in Arthabaska, below the 20-degree readings observed this week.
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