A stretch of sunshine and seasonable temperatures is expected across southwestern Ontario through the weekend as a strong ridge of high pressure settles over the region. According to Reta Ismail, the weather pattern will keep conditions largely dry and sunny for the next several days, with only some cloud cover lingering near the Lake Erie shoreline from a weak low-pressure system over the United States. The clouds are expected to clear, allowing temperatures to cool overnight. Lows are forecast to fall to between 5 C and 8 C, making for crisp starts to both Thursday and Friday. “It’s this ridge of high pressure that will dominate the forecast for the next few days into the weekend,” Ismail said. Daytime temperatures, however, will rebound under sunny skies. Thursday is expected to reach a high of about 20 C, which is in line with seasonal averages for late September. Ismail said there could be a brief period of cloud cover early Friday morning, but sunshine is expected to prevail heading into the weekend. For those with outdoor plans, the forecast looks favourable, with mainly sunny skies and dry conditions expected through Sunday. Temperatures are also forecast to trend upward early next week, climbing above seasonal values on Monday and Tuesday. “The next chance for moisture doesn’t arrive until late Tuesday into Wednesday when we could see a few showers,” Ismail said. Until then, southwestern Ontario residents can expect a prolonged stretch of clear skies and comfortable fall weather.