Weather by the numbers: September has been very dry so far in the Maritimes

CTV Meteorologist Kalin Mitchell on whether or not we can expect any rain this week and how much we've had so far this month.

Persistent high-pressure weather systems haven’t allowed much rain to fall in the Maritimes through the first half of September.

Much of the region sits near or below 20 per cent of the average amount of rain for the month.

A paltry 4 per cent for parts of the Annapolis Valley, N.S. We will make up a bit of ground on those numbers by the end of September but given the prolonged spell of dry weather I expect we will end with another month of below average precipitation.

The next several days aren’t promising when it comes to needing rain. A weak cold front crosses the Maritimes Thursday night and Friday. The front may bring some scattered showers to the region, but most will be lucky to pick up a few to several millimeters from it. After that it is high-pressure and clear, dry conditions returning for the weekend.

The front will cool temperatures in the region. Expect highs in the mid-to-high teens on Friday then low-to-mid teens on Saturday. Overnight lows in the single digits both Friday night and Saturday night.

We’ll need a change in the large-scale weather pattern to bring us persistent rain. For example, less high-pressure and more low-pressure systems. A jet stream that works to direct more moisture from the sub-tropical Atlantic towards the Maritimes would help as well.