The Weather Journal: September 2026
Welcome to the September Weather Journal!
Each day of the month, I record my weather observations, and track various happenings. I also share a weekly marsh update, which captures the water levels in one of the ponds found in Miners Marsh
New this month: I added in the forecasted temperature high and weather outlook for each day. In previous editions of the Weather Journal, I have referenced these occasionally, but felt it would be more interesting, or perhaps impactful, to see what we thought would hapen versus what actually did. Enjoy!
September 1
Daily High: 23.2ºC Daily Low: 10.7ºC Avg Temperature: 16.9ºC Yarn Colour: Orange Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 22ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly sunny
Fall was in the air for the start of September! It was cool most of the day unless you were in direct sun, early afternoon. A sweater was required in the early morning, and I probably should have worn one later in the evening when taking Carson for a walk.
September 2
Daily High: 23.0ºC Daily Low: 9.8ºC Avg Temperature: 16.4ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 21ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly sunny
It was another lovely cool day. It was sunny, with blue skies and fluffy clouds. The morning and evening was cooler, like previous days. This evening, I noticed how few bugs were around. This was welcomed, as my poor wrists and ankles are full of mosquito bites!
This morning, I woke up to a ‘significant rainfall statement.’ So it looks like we could have quite a bit of rain over the long weekend! Great in many ways, but probably not welcomed by anyone with big plans!
On the climate news front, today the United Nations announced that we will definitely pass the 1.5ºC of warming, with no change of reversing this. If you have worked in this field for any amount of time, or follow climate stories, this would have come without shock. But it still hurts to hear it out loud…
September 3
Daily High: 20.6ºC Daily Low: 13.0ºC Avg Temperature: 16.8ºC Yarn Colour: Orange Precipitation: 6.9mm
Forecasted High: 21ºC Weather Outlook: Sunny cloudy in the morning, turning to rain in the afternoon (10mm)
Today started off cool with a mix of sun and clouds. The weather apps said the rain began shortly after 1pm, but I didn’t notice anything beyond a light drizzle off and on through out the afternoon and evening. Given the forecast, and what I observed, I’m surprised that much rain fell.
in other news, the mosquitoes returned this evening. I have several new contributions to the mosquito bite exhibits.
September 4
Daily High: 22.1ºC Daily Low: 15.8ºC Avg Temperature: 18.9ºC Yarn Colour: Orange Precipitation: 10.1mm
Forecasted High: 20ºC Weather Outlook: Rain (5-10mm)
Today started off rainy, and then slowly tapered off into a wee bit of sunshine in the afternoon. We had some light showers in the evening to round off the day. The temperature ended up being a little warmer than forecasted, but it didn’t feel as humid as past rainy days.
Unrelated to weather or climate change, today is my dog’s 3-month “gotcha-versary!” He’s settling in well, and it seems impossible that 3 months have already passed.
September 5
Daily High: 16.2ºC Daily Low: 13.3ºC Avg Temperature: 14.8ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.7mm
Forecasted High: 16ºC Weather Outlook: Light rain (up to 5-10)
I thought we had a rainy day, at least overnight and in the morning, but it doesn’t look like it from the precipitation amounts recorded. The real headline for today’s weather is actually the wind. It was windy all day, but really picked up later in the afternoon. Wind gusts reached as high as 53km/h. Outside of that, it was a fairly uneventful day in the Valley.
Cape Breton, however, on the opposite end of the province, had a much different day. Parts of the island saw as much as 200mm of rain, with one area receiving just short of 300mm. Some of the imagery is heart-breaking, and three counties have declared a state of emergency. I hope everyone is keeping safe.
Cape Breton, however, on the opposite end of the province, had a much different day. Parts of the island saw as much as 200mm of rain, with one area receiving just short of 300mm. Some of the imagery is heart-breaking, and three counties have declared a state of emergency. I hope everyone is keeping safe.
Cape Breton has experienced some record breaking precipitation in recent years. Two years ago, parts of Cape Breton received 100cm of snow in a single storm.
September 6
Daily High: 14.4ºC Daily Low: 11.1ºC Avg Temperature: 12.7ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 13.5mm
Forecasted High: 14ºC Weather Outlook: Rain
It was a good ‘ol rainy da today! The wind died down a little, but the rain was mostly consistent throughout the day. There were a few moments of heavier rainfall, but mostly it was a steady flow. Tomorrow we should see a little break in the the rain, so it will be a good day for outdoor projects.
Despite the rain we’ve had, the marsh is back to being dry. Last week, it was closed off (and still no knowledge of why). I assumed there was a breach because there had been a lot of rain. So imagine my shock when I saw it today. There’s a lot of healthy vegetation around, at least.
September 7
Daily High: 16.8ºC Daily Low: 10.9ºC Avg Temperature: 13.9ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 19ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly cloudy
Today pretty much followed the forecast - it was cloudy most of the day. There were some blue, sunny skies in the afternoon, but overcast was the name of the game. It ended up being a few degrees cooler than the forecast, which was okay by me. I’m thankful for cooler weather these days!
September 8
Daily High: 18.0ºC Daily Low: 8.6ºC Average Temperature: 13.3ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 1.5mm
Forecasted High: 19ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly sunny
Another day cooler than forecast, but today it’s only by one degree. It was a nice day. It felt cool, throughout, though in the afternoon the warm sun was also noticeable.
I have often said that 12-18ºC is my optimal temperature, so I’m thrilled that we are slowly getting to the point in the year (again) when this range is what’s happening. Bring on the cozy sweaters!
September 9
Daily High: 17.0ºC Daily Low: 7.4ºC Average Temperature: 12.2ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 0.2mm
Forecasted High: 17ºC Weather Outlook: A mix of sun and clouds
Today was exactly as forecast. It was cool for most of the day, but you could feel the warmth of the sun in the afternoon. It was a nice fall-like day for the most part. In the later parts of the afternoon, it looked like it could rain, but it didn’t.
September 10
Daily High: 25.2ºC Daily Low: 13.5ºC Avg Temperature: 19.3ºC Yarn Colour: Orange Precipitation: 20.6mm
Forecasted High: 23ºC Weather Outlook: Rain (25-30mm)
Today started with high wind and heavy rain, and ended up a slight breeze and sunshine. We didn’t get as much rain as forecasted, but what we did recieve came fast and furious. Driving conditions were less than optimal, with several accidents reported. Not a great day to be on the road for work, but thankfully it was a much nicer drive on the way home. The rain also brought back the humidity… and the mosquitoes!
September 11
Daily High: 17.5ºC Daily Low: 9.7ºC Avg Temperature: 13.6ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 17ºC Weather Outlook: Sunny
It was a lovely sunny day today. Much cooler than yesterday, but still warm in the afternoon. Things seemed quite dry, despite all the rain we received 24 hours prior. I am loving these cooler, fall days!
September 12
Daily High: 20.9ºC Daily Low: 8.4ºC Avg Temperature: 14.6ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.2mm
Forecasted High: 20ºC Weather Outlook: Sunny
Today was another lovely sunny day. Nothing overly noteworthy to share. Cool in the morning and evening. Cooler during the day, but warmer when the sun was in full force. It was a great day to be outside.
September 13
Daily High: 22.4ºC Daily Low: 6.9ºC Avg Temperature: 14.6ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 14.4mm
Forecasted High: 22ºC Weather Outlook: A mix of sun and clouds, turning to rain in the evening (5-15mm)
It was a beautiful day, though a lot more humid than the last few days. Even in the morning, with a cooler temperature, you could feel it. By late afternoon, the skies started to darken, and around 6:30PM drops of rain began to fall. It started fully raining some time after 7:30PM. Thankfully my outdoor work wrapped up just as the rain began, which made for a refreshing dog walk in the rain!
The Marsh was still dry, butif you look at the bottom left, you can see a little bit of water hanging around there. Signs of fall are starting to show, now that the cooler temperatures are setting in for the season.
September 14
Daily High: 22.3ºC Daily Low: 11.2ºC Avg Temperature: 16.7ºC Yarn Colour: Orange Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 21ºC Weather Outlook: A mix of sun and clouds
This morning had some strong Halloween vibes. The neighbourhood was still, no other walkers, no cars. But there was a thick fog from last night’s rain. It was that weird peaceful-eerie vibe to start off the day. As the morning sun appeared, the fog disappeared and it was a nice warm, sunny day.
An interesting note: there was no rain after midnight last night. The forecast and weather map suggested we had rain here in the wee hours of the night, but apparently not.
September 15
Daily High: 19.9ºC Daily Low: 7.5ºC Avg Temperature: 13.7ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 20ºC Weather Outlook: Sunny
Today felt far warmer than a temperature high of 19.9ºC! It was cool in the morning and evening, but once that sun came into full force, it felt like an early summer day! If I had to guess, I would have said the daily high was closer to 25ºC. Anyway, it was a nice sunny day.
September 16
Daily High: 22.5ºC Daily Low: 7.6ºC Avg Temperature: 15.1ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 22ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly sunny
Yesterday, felt so much warmer than it actually was. Today felt cooler than it actually was. What is going on here?
As the forecast suggested, today was a sunny day. It was cool in the morning and evening, as it has been. No complaints here.
September 17
Daily High: 19.7ºC Daily Low: 12.0ºC Avg Temperature: 15.9ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 1.1mm
Forecasted High: 20ºC Weather Outlook: Cloudy with sunny breaks, turning to rain in the evening (~5mm)
Today started off quite warm - it was 14ºC when i took Carson for a walk in the morning. Then, the day became sunny and warm. But by mid-afternoon, it started to cloud over a bit. I could hear the rain later in the evening, shortly before bed, so I’d say the forecast was pretty much on target.
September 18
Daily High: 20.1ºC Daily Low: 10.4ºC Avg Temperature: 15.2ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 8.1mm
Forecasted High: 18ºC Weather Outlook: Cloudy with chance of showers (up to 25mm of rain in the morning)
It was clear that there had been some rain overnight when I got up this morning. The forecast said we would receive a lot of rain between 4am and 9am, but I think it missed us. In the early afternoon there were a few minutes of heavy rain, though. Outside of that, it felt like a sunny fall day.
September 19
Daily High: 16.2ºC Daily Low: 4.8ºC Average Temperature: 10.5ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 15ºC Weather Outlook: Sunny
I was indoors most of the day today, so I can’t say that I fully clocked how the weather was. The morning was cool and sunny, but warmed up quickly. The evening was kind of the same. The main hours of the day were also sunny, and much cooler than the last few days, though a tad warmer than what was forecasted.
The first frost advisory of the season was issued for overnight tonight. Guess we’ll have to see what happens!
September 20
Daily High: 15.3ºC Daily Low: 4.6ºC Average Temperature: 9.9ºC Yarn Colour: Fern Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 16ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly cloudy with light rain overnight (~1mm)
I didn’t see much evidence of frost this morning, though I was a bit later than usual leaving the house. But it was quite cool! And it remained cool throughout most of the day. I think the bit of cloud cover helped with that.
Miners Marsh was lovely this morning. There was a little more water in the pond than last week, but it still remains low.
September 21
Daily High: 16.8ºC Daily Low: 7.2ºC Average Temperature: 12.0ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 7.8mm
Forecasted High: N/A Weather Outlook: N/A
I left in the wee hours of the morning, and it was lightly raining when I left. But by the time I got close to the city, it was coming down in buckets! It wasn’t a great trip to the airport.
I’m now in Toronto for Adaptation Canada, so I can’t comment on the rest of the day. I also didn’t have a chance to update the forecast, and I can’t remember what it said the day would be like.
September 22
Daily High: 16.3ºC Daily Low: 4.8ºC Average Temperature: 10.5ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 15ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly sunny
In Toronto for Adaptation Canada.
However, it looks like it was a bit warmer than expected. There was a frost advisory issued this afternoon for overnight tonight and tomorrow, but I’m not sure if we will have frost or not, either way!
September 23
Daily High: 16.3ºC Daily Low: 3.5ºC Average Temperature: 9.9ºC Yarn Colour: Fern Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 15ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly sunny
In Toronto for Adaptation Canada. Back home, the frost warning continued.
September 24
Daily High: 18.9ºC Daily Low: 3.0ºC Average Temperature: 11.0ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 18ºC Weather Outlook: Sunny
In Toronto for Adaptation Canada. Today, I presented Speaking of Climate Change to a packed room at Adaptation Canada. What an honour and experience that was!
The frost warning ended this afternoon.
September 25
Daily High: 20.8ºC Daily Low: 5.2ºC Average Temperature: 13.0ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: ºC Weather Outlook: text
I left Toronto early this morning, so I definitely can’t report on Kentville’s weather for the start of the day. I arrived back to Kentville mid-afternoon and it was sunny. It remained that way until the sunset. There was a gorgeous purple and pink sunset sky, but I didn’t capture it, unfortunately.
September 26
Daily High: 18.9ºC Daily Low: 11.4ºC Avg Temperature: 15.1ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.0mm
Forecasted High: 18ºC Weather Outlook: Cloudy
Ir was a nice morning, with a bit of sun, which later turned to clouds in the afternoon. It seemed like it was going to rain, but it didn’t. Overall, it was a pretty good day - not too hot, not too cold!
Yesterday morning, I took Carson to a new-to-him trail. Along the way, we encountered this magnificent sight and sound - a large group of Red-winged blackbirds. It was a real treat! Someone else on the trail described it as a “racket.” Not sure I would agree!
September 27
Daily High: 18.3ºC Daily Low: 11.7ºC Avg Temperature: 15.0ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 2.8mm
Forecasted High: 18ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly cloudy, but rain in the morning (up to 5mm)
It was lightly raining when I got up this morning. The forecast said it would be heaviest around 10am. Carson and I went to the Marsh around 8:30am, and the rain felt very heavy! We didn’t stay long, but we did capture the weekly photo of a very dry marsh (below). It seems like it’s losing all the (limited) water it had been accumulating earlier in the month.
Closer to noon the rain stopped and the rest of the day remained cloudy and overcast. Last night was the full Harvest moon. It was so big and bright!
September 28
Daily High: 14.5ºC Daily Low: 10.4ºC Avg Temperature: 12.5ºC Yarn Colour: Gold Precipitation: 17.1mm
Forecasted High: 15ºC Weather Outlook: Rain (~5mm)
It was cool and clear in the early morning, that soon turned to rain around mid-morning. Then it seemed like it didn’t stop. The forecast would say “will stop raining in the next hour” but it just kept coming. What’s interesting is that last night, I checked the forecast and it said up to 15mm of rain, but the forecast noted is what it switched to this morning. Well, I should have kept the original because last night’s was more accurate. Nevertheless, it’s good to have the rain.
September 29
Daily High: 18.3ºC Daily Low: 13.8ºC Avg Temperature: 16.5ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 6.3mm
Forecasted High: 22ºC Weather Outlook: Light rain (~10mm)
It was a spooky, foggy start to the day after all that rain yesterday. It was still drizzling when I was out, but much better than some points yesterday. That fog remained for the rest of the day, and mid-afternoon, it started to rain. It rained well into the evening, though it didn’t amount to much, it would seem. Temperature-wise, it was cooler than forecast, but it was muggy so it felt like 22ºC.
September 30
Daily High: 16.3ºC Daily Low: 12.4ºC Avg Temperature: 14.4ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Precipitation: 0.7mm
Forecasted High: 18ºC Weather Outlook: Mainly cloudy
Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. As a settler, I find this day difficult because almost no one observes the day as intended - to learn about and reflect on reconciliation. The need for all settlers, whether new to Canada or who have generational ties, to listen to Indigenous voices and act on the 94 calls to action is so important. Today, I spent time doing some self reflection on my role in this work, and listened to Indigenous creators. This is the bare minimum. I have a lot more to learn and do.
As for the weather observation, this morning it was still drizzling. But most of the day was overcast and cloudy as the forecast suggested.
Month Summary
Highest: 25ºC Lowest: 3.0ºC Avg Temperature: 14.2ºC Yarn Colour: Yellow Total Precipitation: 112.0mm
September brought cooler temperatures and a whole bunch of rain! Signs of autumn started to show, almost from the onset of the month. Cooler mornings and evenings, milder days, and changing leaves. One of my favourite observations from the marsh photos is seeing how the foliage changes from week to week.
With 112mm of rain, the total precipitation amount doubled from last month. Our summer started off dry, so it was nice that the second half of the season had that much needed rain - even in September!
No hurricanes or tropical storms to report. The Atlantic seems fairly quite so far, but September and October are typically the most active months for these kinds of storms to reach Atlantic Canada. Hopefully, nothing major to come.
If you found this interesting, check back next month for the October edition of the Weather Journal!
*Note: All temperature and precipitation data comes from Environment Canada’s Kentville weather station.
