The First Night of October Will Feel Like… October!
Tonight’s forecast is proudly sponsored by the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, happening October 21–25. Click here to learn more or to get your tickets!
Overnight into Thursday
Across Labrador, temperatures will dip near or below freezing. On the island, several areas will flirt with the freezing mark: Buchins could see –1°C, Corner Brook near 1°C, and Gander around 2°C. Eastern and northeastern Newfoundland, meanwhile, will hold cloudier under showery conditions as northerly winds push moisture onshore. These showers will taper overnight into Thursday morning.
Thursday
The day starts bright across much of the island and Labrador—ideal for an early walk or sunrise photo. By afternoon, rain and some wet snow move into northern Labrador, with snow mostly confined to higher elevations. Newfoundland will see lingering morning showers in eastern and northeastern areas, but conditions improve to mostly sunny skies later in the day. Temperatures will run 9–14°C island-wide, while Labrador sees low teens in the west and cooler conditions along the coast.
Late Week Warm-Up
A notable warm-up arrives Friday. Parts of Central Newfoundland could reach 19°C, western areas near 17°C, and eastern Newfoundland the mid-teens. Labrador also warms on Friday to near 20º before dipping back to more seasonal values (6–7°C) by Saturday.
Watching Hurricane Imelda
Hurricane Imelda, a Category 2 storm with 195 km/h winds, will track near or directly over Bermuda tonight into early Thursday. The storm is not a direct threat to Newfoundland and Labrador, but its presence in the Atlantic matters for us.
As Imelda moves northeast and high pressure builds over Quebec, the contrast between the two systems will create a tight pressure gradient over Atlantic Canada. Think of it like a river: when it narrows, the water speeds up. The atmosphere works the same way—when the spacing between high and low pressure tightens, winds accelerate to balance the difference.
What That Means for Us
Thursday into Friday: Gusts around 50 km/h at times along the Avalon and northeast coast—nothing out of the ordinary.
Friday into Saturday: Winds strengthen in the Strait of Belle Isle, with gusts near 50 km/h in places like St. Anthony and even higher offshore. Ferry crossings between Newfoundland and Labrador could be affected.
Higher wind speeds are also likely on ridge tops in the Long Range Mountains Thursday night and Friday.
Bottom Line
Aside from some gusty winds later in the week, the big story is the warming trend heading into Friday. Expect a taste of late-season mildness before conditions cool back toward seasonal levels by the weekend.
