Weather in Ottawa

[daud]

Thought of starting a thread about weather in the city. I noticed some super interesting variances in temperature today (Feb 22) and kept an unofficial record of it from my car thermometer, realizing that they are notoriously rough estimates, but assuming that the variances are accurate:

Camp Fortune 2PM Temp -1c
Chelsea @ HWY 5 Temp 4c
McDonald Cartier Bridge and Byward Market Temp 4.5c
Lansdowne Temp 2.5c
Mooneys Bay Temp 1c.
Airport Temp 2c


This was all within a 30 minute drive from Camp Fortune to Hunt Club. The biggest variance was driving from the hill to Chelsea-as we dropped, it was jumping 0.5c every ~200 metres driving, peaking around the hwy 5/50 junction. It stabilized at 4-4.5c from there to around Clegg where I looked and it had dropped to 2.5c. It then dropped further to Mooneys bay then started to climb again.

On another note, January was approx 4c above average and February looks like it will be about 3c above average.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

^^^^^^^^

On another note, January was approx 4c above average and February looks like it will be about 3c above average.

Wow! Ottawa is warming up! I am thinking of starting a Palm Tree Nursery. In a few years time the local demand for planting these type of trees should be brisk.

[daud]

Originally Posted by LeadingEdgeBoomer

^^^^^^^^

Wow! Ottawa is warming up! I am thinking of starting a Palm Tree Nursery. In a few years time the local demand for planting these type of trees should be brisk.

They would be a perfect fit for greenery to complement all those outdoor LRT stations.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by daud

Thought of starting a thread about weather in the city. I noticed some super interesting variances in temperature today (Feb 22) and kept an unofficial record of it from my car thermometer, realizing that they are notoriously rough estimates, but assuming that the variances are accurate:

Camp Fortune 2PM Temp -1c
Chelsea @ HWY 5 Temp 4c
McDonald Cartier Bridge and Byward Market Temp 4.5c
Lansdowne Temp 2.5c
Mooneys Bay Temp 1c.
Airport Temp 2c


This was all within a 30 minute drive from Camp Fortune to Hunt Club. The biggest variance was driving from the hill to Chelsea-as we dropped, it was jumping 0.5c every ~200 metres driving, peaking around the hwy 5/50 junction. It stabilized at 4-4.5c from there to around Clegg where I looked and it had dropped to 2.5c. It then dropped further to Mooneys bay then started to climb again.

On another note, January was approx 4c above average and February looks like it will be about 3c above average.

I recall going from Kanata one evening and it was -8 c and by the time I got to Fallowfield/416 on the edge of Barrhaven it was +0.5 on the car thermometer in less than 20 minutes.

Downtown is often warmer at night than surrounding areas and there is something about soils etc near the Gatineau airport that allows rapid night time cooling. Have a look at Moose Creek Ontario weather in the early morning on a clear night.

https://weather.gc.ca/past_condition...ml?station=tck

I think my coldest temp this winter was about -27 c one morning.

[lrt's friend]

In the summer, heat is often trapped in the valley in the urban area. I remember on one occasion, how sultry it was driving south on Conroy through Greenboro and the relief I felt as I drove up the hill south of Hunt Club. In that case, heat from all the buildings and asphalt was trapped in a low lying area.

[MarkR]

I've noticed over the past ten years that we rarely have true "cold snaps" anymore. Sure, we'll get a day or two of -20C for a daytime high (and only one so far this winter), but I recall when we might have that for 4 or 5 days in a row. Now it seems that cold air comes but is forced right out again by warmer winds.

As people have joked, our area will likely benefit from warmer temps. Maybe Ottawa can become a wine-producing region, but instead of a fine Chateau Lafite Rothschild maybe we need to market a fine Chateau Lafayette.

[CityTech]

Originally Posted by MarkR

I've noticed over the past ten years that we rarely have true "cold snaps" anymore. Sure, we'll get a day or two of -20C for a daytime high (and only one so far this winter), but I recall when we might have that for 4 or 5 days in a row. Now it seems that cold air comes but is forced right out again by warmer winds.

As people have joked, our area will likely benefit from warmer temps. Maybe Ottawa can become a wine-producing region, but instead of a fine Chateau Lafite Rothschild maybe we need to market a fine Chateau Lafayette.

An increase in average temperature by just 2 degrees would be enough to knock Ottawa into a higher hardiness zone allowing for growing tender fruits.

Unless there's a big and sudden drop in carbon emissions, by the end of this century, here in Ottawa we will likely no longer have any canal skating (cold snaps insufficiently long-lasting and intense to allow for full freezing of waterways), plum and peach orchards in our backyards, and white Christmases will be uncommon.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

In the summer, heat is often trapped in the valley in the urban area. I remember on one occasion, how sultry it was driving south on Conroy through Greenboro and the relief I felt as I drove up the hill south of Hunt Club. In that case, heat from all the buildings and asphalt was trapped in a low lying area.

Ottawa's heat-island effect is becoming quite noticeable on a human scale during a human lifetime. On a morning with snow that scrunches and squeaks even in the Glebe or Sandy Hill, it'll still be slushy and damp "snowman snow" downtown. The lower portion of the canal has had trouble freezing and didn't open at all this winter (part of which might also be related to the overuse of salt on nearby surfaces.) And in the non-snowy parts of the year, the CBD is getting slower and slower to give up its heat in the evening.

[harls]

Gatineau Airport is consistently a bit colder from my place in Aylmer, near the river. But I would imagine you'd get this kind of complaint in every city.

For example, right now Gatineau is reporting -3 C, but my thermometer says zero.

[Dengler Avenue]

I’ve been on the frozen canal once in February 2017. I can’t believe that may soon just be history...

[CityTech]

So at my house in Westboro, this weekend my tulips have sprouted. Nine sprouts have emerged in my front flowerbed. I've never seen them come up this early before. I wonder if Friday's very mild weather kicked them off.

[VANRIDERFAN]

All I can say is that this spring has been excellent for the folks who had an added worry about spring flooding. The cold nights and coolish days has slowed the melt to manageable levels.

Could you imagine a spring like last year coupled with this years COVID-19 crisis?

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

Ottawa's heat-island effect is becoming quite noticeable on a human scale during a human lifetime. On a morning with snow that scrunches and squeaks even in the Glebe or Sandy Hill, it'll still be slushy and damp "snowman snow" downtown. The lower portion of the canal has had trouble freezing and didn't open at all this winter (part of which might also be related to the overuse of salt on nearby surfaces.) And in the non-snowy parts of the year, the CBD is getting slower and slower to give up its heat in the evening.

Based on the number of storm drain outlets into the Canal, it's no surprise that the saltwater would have a hard time freezing.

I've noticed the quantity of salt spread onto surfaces in Ottawa the last few years has reached a ridiculous amount (even as we start to run out of natural salt in the wild).

[CityTech]

Yeah. Most cities are finding ways to reduce salt use. We're going in the wrong direction.

[Acajack]

Given the iconic and touristic importance of the Rideau Canal skating rink, can anything be done about those storm drains? Is it in any way feasible to redirect them away from the canal?

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Given the iconic and touristic importance of the Rideau Canal skating rink, can anything be done about those storm drains? Is it in any way feasible to redirect them away from the canal?

Nothing that money wouldn't handle!

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Given the iconic and touristic importance of the Rideau Canal skating rink, can anything be done about those storm drains? Is it in any way feasible to redirect them away from the canal?

I wonder if the new CST might help in this regard.

[harls]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

All I can say is that this spring has been excellent for the folks who had an added worry about spring flooding. The cold nights and coolish days has slowed the melt to manageable levels.

Could you imagine a spring like last year coupled with this years COVID-19 crisis?

No kidding. That would be a downright grade-a disaster.

[J.OT13]

From a LeDroit article about how local waterparks have faired this summer. Seems we received 225 mm of rain in June and July (at the Ottawa Intl' Airport) compared to 184.7mm in a typical summer. This is June and July and does not count the August rain storm a few weeks ago.

In July alone, we had 142.4 mm compared to the average 91.9 mm.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/a...EHXBP35YLAR5M/