Warm start to Winter for most of Canada

[IntotheWest]

January 3rd, 5:00pm EST, and there is not a negative temperature anywhere in southern Canada...even Winnipeg was at +6c, and Regina at +2c.

I know winter has technically only kicked off - and we still have a long way to go - but so far, so good.

Though much of the "mild weather" talk has been focused on eastern Canada (at least by TheWeatherNetwork), December was incredibly mild across the country. Environment Canada predicted as late as November that we were all in for a colder than average winter...but so far, here's the December averages across the country.

Dec 2006 average high (Dec normal high) difference

Vancouver 7.1 (6.2) 0.9
Kelowna 1.1 (0.6) 0.5
Calgary 3.9 (-1.3) 5.2
Lethbridge 4.5 (-0.2) 4.7
Edmonton -1.7 (-5.9) 4.2
Regina -4.1 (-7.9) 3.8
Saskatoon -5.3 (-9.2) 3.9
Winnipeg -4.7 (-9.7) 5
Thunder Bay -1 (-6.1) 5.1
Ottawa 2 (-3) 5
Toronto 5.1 (0.9) 4.2
Windsor 6.1 (1.9) 4.2
Montreal 2.4 (-2.2) 4.6
Quebec City -0.9 (-4.8) 3.9
Halifax 3.5 (1.4) 2.1
St John's 1.9 (1.2) 0.7

[SpongeG]

despite it being very wet here (vancouver) its been warm - just need a sweater to go outside

last thursday though was freezing

[dubiousmike]

CALGARY WINS.

Sorry, couldn't help it :)



By any chance do you have any info on relative rainfall?

If my understanding of the way chinooks work is correct, then it would seem that warm weather in the foothills correlates to wet weather on the coast. I'm just wondering if the data backs that up.

[feepa]

I would like to see these stats for November

[IntotheWest]

Well, without digging, I can tell you Alberta was about 5 degrees colder than average for November (average high of -1.9)...mostly due to that week-long blast of -20 to -30 weather. However, MB and east were above average, and BC was about normal (minus the excessive rain, snow, and quick cold blast).

You are correct about the rainfall - the "pineapple express" usually converts to rain on the coast and nice weather in southern AB.

Vancouver and Victoria recieved some 350mm of rain in November alone - more than what Calgary receives in a year.

[harls]

They're calling for 14 on Saturday here.

I spent New years eve in the Laurentians and it rained all night.

[SpongeG]

its warm in europe too

the ski resorts have no snow over there

all the better for whistler which is apparently having a good season

[Blitz]

We set a record in Brandon today with a high temp of 4C.

[habsfan]

For montreal,

It was 6 degrees on WEdnesday, 9 on Thrusday and they're clling for 12degrees on Friday and 16 degrees on Saturday.

Lovin' it!

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

I love it but I know this isn't a good thing.

[habsfan]

I love it but I know this isn't a good thing.

Somehow i get the feeling that we're gonna pay for this fantastic weather this summer!:(

[harls]

Somehow i get the feeling that we're gonna pay for this fantastic weather this summer!:(

Not what I heard this morning.. I heard that 2007 is supposed to be the hottest year on record (since 1998).

Maybe I'll finally break down and get an air-conditioner this year..last year was f'n brutal.

[caltrane74]

This isn't normal. The grass is still solid green out here, and its sunny.

I fear for this planet. Global warming has begun.

11 or 12 degree high today


Its f$@$#king January for God's sake....it should be cold and grey and gloomy. and dark too!!

Does anyone here remember what snow looks like, I forgot.

[IntotheWest]

^ I should have also mentioned the nighttime lows for Ontario - which is why it's more of a story than anywhere else in the country...

TO's overnight low average for December was -1.5c, while Windsor was +0.6c....and giving ice wine vintners a headache as they are losing any chance of making any this year.

[IntotheWest]

Here are the daytime highs for the Territories. As most global warming models suggest, the warming in Canada will have a larger change in the north, and from the middle (MB) out to the oceans.

Dec 2006 average high (Dec normal high) difference

iqaluit -14.6 (-18.5) 3.9
Yellowknife -10 (-19.7) 9.7
Whitehorse -5.1 (-10.6) 5.5


Though El Nino is currently active - and meteorologists are pointing to that for our warm temps this winter - it usually doesn't have an affect so far north. El Nino wasn't active last winter (despite our record warm temps), and the polar vortex was the culprit for not pushing down the arctic air.

El Nino typically affects us until late February, and works in a 3 year cycle.

[WHISTLERINMUSKOKA]

^ I should have also mentioned the nighttime lows for Ontario - which is why it's more of a story than anywhere else in the country...

TO's overnight low average for December was -1.5c, while Windsor was +0.6c....and giving ice wine vintners a headache as they are losing any chance of making any this year.


November was cold so i'm sure the ice wine crop was harvested then.

[IntotheWest]

November was cold so i'm sure the ice wine crop was harvested then.


No, it wasn't cold...based on the "Vineland Station" EC weather station, the averages in November were 9.6 for a high, and 2.8 for a low. -8c is required by VQA (hard frost) to harvest ice wine....only one night in December dipped that low - not sure if it was enough.

The ice wine in the Okanagan has been harvested, but not Niagara - typically harvested later anyways (Ice Wine Festival is coming up). However, they do risk turning into raisins if this weather continues.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061227.wicewine1227/BNStory/National/home

[Perspective123]

The media spins this mild weather as being a positive anomaly. In the Toronto Star they stated Vancouver was unusually cold and snowy - even though temperatures there were above normal - as a way to assuage fears. It would be nice if some of these journalists would do some research before reporting these fallacies.

[MonkeyRonin]

It would be nice if it doesn't snow at all this year :)

[caltrane74]

We are almost there, just around 1 and a half more months of real winter to go and it still hasn't snowed.

We will soon need the army to rescue us from global warming.

[1ajs]

its beutifull out here suny out witch nomaly here when the sun is out at this time of year is bruitily cold out not 1c today or the 6c we had yesterday though nice but creats ice :s the red river is not even fully frozen over...... wtf

[LordMandeep]

the overnight low in Toronto today is 8

[WHY-T]

While this is certainly very comfortable for the moment, this unusually warm winter is certainly too weird. I mean today I went out in just a shirt and light coat, the thermometer outside registered 22C under the bright shining sun. Kids were playing hockey with roller skates and people were biking everywhere in January!!!

In Montreal, snow came in on Boxing Day and we got a nice several inches cover to stay for the week, then everything disappeared right on Jan 1 with rain and positive temps. It was as if the snow just came for show for the holidays!!!

[IntotheWest]

The media spins this mild weather as being a positive anomaly. In the Toronto Star they stated Vancouver was unusually cold and snowy - even though temperatures there were above normal - as a way to assuage fears. It would be nice if some of these journalists would do some research before reporting these fallacies.

While I agree they don't paint the complete (or accurate) picture - the "snowy" weather in Van was a shock in November (though, it's old news)...because of that dump though, Vancouver has received more snow than Calgary, Montreal, or Toronto so far:

Vancouver 38.6cm
Calgary 36.6cm
Montreal 28.8cm
Toronto 1.6cm

I definitely don't think anyone can argue that the lower mainland has so far had the roughest weather in late Fall/early Winter this year.

[Perspective123]

To say the least the weather has been very unusual along our Pacific coast. The heavy rain and snow followed a period of very low rainfall. Usually in an El Nino year (such as we have this year)BC tends to be drier and California wetter. It could be that El Nino won't be felt for another month or so, and a new weather pattern will emerge.

BTW: According to the weather network, Alberta and BC are in for a cool down starting next Thursday. Though we will just have to wait and see how accurate this is.;)

[habsfan]

the overnight low in Toronto today is 8

it's crazy! it is 7 celcius at 11:10PM in Montreal...just nuts!

[MolsonExport]

Right now, at 930am in London Ontario, it is 13 degrees celcius.

Welcome to the climate of the Jurassic era.

[harls]

I couldn't believe it this morning. I took the garbage out and I was like "WTF?"

[boden]

It has been over 50 degrees farenheit in Belleville for several days. The "low" last night was 48...and this on top of a whole month of warmer than average weather. I believe the last time a winter started out this warm Toronto got clobbered by the big blizzard.

[Taller Better]

12c for this date in January in Toronto is just plain bizarre. The grass is green, and some plants are starting to grow. Weird.

[IntotheWest]

^I remember when I moved to Calgary in Dec 99, and right around Christmas we had an incredibly warm Chinook of 8 days above 10c (topping out at an official 19.5c on the 27th)...some early spring plants were starting to pop-out of the ground - only to be caught in mid-Jan by -20c temps (only in Calgary) :-)

Taller - any more pics of those roses trying to open? Or folks golfing in southern Quebec anyone?

[francely57]

Montreal, QC, Canada, January 5, 2007 :

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/IMG_5556.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/IMG_5557.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/IMG_5558.jpg

Hum, something's obviously wrong!
I remember we had El-Niño 8 years ago... If there weren't any snow during the (normally) coldest days of 1999, I think I would have noticed. This time there must also be something else happening...

[harls]

Here's a few I took this past friday..

Joggin'.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/346987854_eb3899c44f.jpg?v=0

The canal:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/346988254_f8c33ab281.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/346987567_156e4bcfce.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/137/346987220_e62789ab93.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/346986951_c05f0b1f23.jpg?v=0

trees are getting confused..

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/346988665_0b5b26097f.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/147/346985659_490caa51cd_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/346985273_3a48f497b2.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/154/346861196_7cf0cf0b0f_b.jpg

[Jay in Cowtown]

^I remember when I moved to Calgary in Dec 99, and right around Christmas we had an incredibly warm Chinook of 8 days above 10c (topping out at an official 19.5c on the 27th)...some early spring plants were starting to pop-out of the ground - only to be caught in mid-Jan by -20c temps (only in Calgary) :-)

Taller - any more pics of those roses trying to open? Or folks golfing in southern Quebec anyone?

The problem with above zero degree days in Calgary in the winter... usually means there's 60 mile/hr winds with it.

What I would give to play 18 holes in January!

[Canadian Mind]

the alder trees out here are starting to bud. considering this doesn't normally happen till april, I say Nuff said.

[SpongeG]

so what happens to the buds and stuff when winter kicks in? (if it does)

does that mean the trees are wrecked for the real spring and summer?

[vanman]

I don't ever remember having such stormy weather in Vancouver in my life. There has been storm after storm after for the last two months. This week alone there was at least 3 rain/wind storms and on friday winds were clocked at over 100k in Vancouver and more trees came down in Stanley Park. I was working outside in Deltaport on friday morning and the wind was so fierce and sustained. Wavew were actually launching about 15 feet onto the docks in some places.

[IntotheWest]

The problem with above zero degree days in Calgary in the winter... usually means there's 60 mile/hr winds with it.

What I would give to play 18 holes in January!

The winds have been bad this winter - 150 km/h down in Waterton yesterday, and up to 80 km/h in Calgary (though, didn't notice them in the south)...but that's also how they're coming into Vancouver.

It's not always windy with above 0c temperatures - just at the onset of the "Chinook". Warm temperature usually linger for a while. Calgary spent most of Decembers daytime highs above 0c (24 days), while less than half of that had "gusts" at some point in the day (usually evening/nighttime) greater than 50km/h.

Fox Hollow I believe was open a couple days last week - though, it never looks as green as even Quebec right now ;-)

The trees budding in Ontario could hurt them when (if) winter actually does show up...it would be kinda like you thinking its near summer and throwing out your winter clothes, only to be shocked and frosted by the cold. It exposes them. The same thing happened to Calgary in late 99 (as mentioned above).

[IntotheWest]

I don't ever remember having such stormy weather in Vancouver in my life. There has been storm after storm after for the last two months. This week alone there was at least 3 rain/wind storms and on friday winds were clocked at over 100k in Vancouver and more trees came down in Stanley Park. I was working outside in Deltaport on friday morning and the wind was so fierce and sustained. Wavew were actually launching about 15 feet onto the docks in some places.

Typically, Vancouver gets hit by three "Pineapple Expresses" in the season...since the beginning of December, it's been hit by four. Hopefully, this isn't a trend - and if it is because of El Nino (as has been mentioned), hopefully it doesn't repeat for the other two years of its cycle.

Maybe Vancouver will get lucky, and repeat the February in had in 2005 :-)

[IntotheWest]

What a change - nearly negative numbers across Canada right now (+2 with strong winds in Van, +1 in Calgary and Charlottetown).

The prairies will get at least a 5 day blast of cold, sinking Calgary into the negative double-digits for highs...par for the course.

Any new pictures from out east?? It's looking like a bit of a chill out there now too...

[TOBoy]

We got a little bit of snow here north of Toronto. I know Blue Mountain which is very popualr for skiing here got about 20 cm this week after being shut down and layying off 1,300 people. Its supposed to get back to about 6C in a couple of days.

[SpongeG]

Two die as blizzards, plunging temperatures bring winter wallop back to West

JENNIFER GRAHAM AND STEVE LILLEBUEN

(CP) - From British Columbia through to Manitoba, Old Man Winter balled up his fist Wednesday and delivered a roundhouse white-knuckled wallop of wicked winds and towering drifts that were blamed for at least two deaths and gridlock on roads and at airports.

An 18-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman were found frozen to death on the side of the road near Onion Lake, north of Lloydminster, said Saskatchewan RCMP spokesman Sgt. Brad Kaeding.


He said a motorist and a tow truck driver came across the bodies Wednesday morning.

"It appears these two people failed to negotiate a turn, got stuck on the side of the road and tried to walk home," said Kaeding, who added that the victims died 200 metres from their home.

They were found without their jackets and some of their clothes were found behind them, he said, signs of hypothermia.

Elsewhere in Saskatchewan, blizzard conditions forced workers to shut the airports at Prince Albert and Saskatoon, while zero visibility forced closure of the highway through North Battleford. Travel was not recommended between Saskatoon and Regina either.

Passengers in a Greyhound bus spent the night on the side of the road waiting for a tow to North Battleford after the bus got stuck in the snow.

Motorists got stranded and quickly became desperate.

"If there's anyone who is coming by, a tow truck or semi, or anything, if they could please stop and take me with them," said one woman phoning in to a Saskatoon radio station.

On that city's outskirts, Marg Kincaid's Husky truck stop was a temporary home to 80 or so stranded truckers.

"Right across the street from us, there's a motel and you can't even see it," said Kincaid. "It's a total whiteout. All you can see is white.

"I've never personally seen one like this, and I'm old."

About 450 snowplow operators who went on strike across the province on the weekend went back to work Tuesday, citing fears the public wouldn't be safe.

In Alberta, heavy snow shut down roads and schools and left motorists scrambling.

In Grande Prairie, Grant Wert of the Northside Petro-Canada station said deep drifts left drivers stuck. The only ones getting around were those in four-wheel-drive vehicles.

"We've actually got vehicles stuck in the entrance of the Petro-Canada station," he said.

Mounties urged drivers to stay off highways if possible as the blizzard created whiteout conditions.

"Use some common sense. It's a day out of the week and take it off. Relax and stay alive," said Const. Chris Noble with the Ponoka RCMP in central Alberta.

Not far away, in Lacombe, Bernie Simocheski headed out on the highway but quickly turned back.

"The visibility is just zero," said Simocheski. "I haven't seen a storm like this since '59, '61."

The main north-south transportation link between Edmonton and Calgary - Queen Elizabeth II Highway - was in poor condition and tow trucks were ordered to stay away lest they caused more problems while trying to haul vehicles out.

In Edmonton, homeless shelters were bracing for overflow crowds.

"We have cleared out tables in the dining room area so we can lay mats down to allow for an extra 30 people," said Janelle Aker with the Hope Mission.

Several flights at Edmonton's international airport were delayed or cancelled.

In northeastern B.C., rescuers struggled to reach stranded motorists caught in heavy snow and gusting winds near Dawson Creek.

Radio stations broadcast warnings telling those stranded to remain in their vehicles, to run the engine periodically to stay warm and to keep a window slightly open to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Snow started falling Tuesday night and almost 40,000 customers from Nanaimo to Chilliwack were still in the dark early Wednesday as B.C. Hydro crews worked to repair outages.

The storm also toppled more trees in Vancouver's wind-battered Stanley Park, including one that fell on a woman.

In Victoria, heavy snow and slippery roads made for an extra-slow morning commute. There were many reports of vehicles in ditches and traffic tieups, but no major accidents.

"It was crazy out here," said Nadine MacLean, who works at the Seventeen Mile House Pub, just west of Victoria.

In B.C.'s Interior, Parks Canada closed the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden through the Selkirk Mountains after a large avalanche. The slide sent debris two metres deep and 150 metres long across the highway, and left a 270-metre swath covering the CP Rail line.

The route was reopened early Wednesday, but Highway 1 was closed east of Golden to the Alberta boundary because of a high avalanche hazard.

Snow was also piling up in Manitoba, with some areas expected to get up to 15 centimetres Wednesday. Blowing snow in many areas of the province caused slippery road conditions and delayed buses in Winnipeg.

The storms were expected to be followed by bone-chilling cold, with temperatures around -25 C forecast Thursday for both Edmonton and Winnipeg - a bitter turnaround from weeks of above-seasonal temperatures.

Dan Kulak, a severe weather expert with Environment Canada, said while it was a wicked storm, Old Man Winter telegraphed his punch.

"We don't get the ones like this too often, usually we get a really fast-moving storm we call an Alberta Clipper," he said.

"This one, we could see it coming. There was a lot of lead out there. For a couple of days, we knew this storm was on the way."

-With files from Jim Macdonald in Edmonton

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/politics/news/shownews.jsp?content=n011067A

[francely57]

An ant I spotted in some Montreal café, on January 13, 2007 :

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e24/francely57/IMG_6021.jpg

I believe we're quite a bit below zero for the first time this winter, but it's still warmer than usual.
Snow on the ground has completely melted almost 3 times since December, and there have been a lot (more than 5) of rainy days in January.

[harls]

We're supposed to get 10 cm today... our first real blast of winter.

View from the office -

http://images.orfay.com/i/photos1/2007/01/15/07/5/5/7/557dcd432ead878592b0bc5b70587e150_large.jpg

http://images.orfay.com/i/photos1/2007/01/15/07/e/d/9/ed9f461af77550f57fa1881d46ebbf170_large.jpg

http://images.orfay.com/i/photos1/2007/01/15/07/c/5/f/c5fa8869e2a2d0f9072ab17713acf84e0_large.jpg

I heard Montreal is supposed to get 15-25 cm.

[habsfan]

I heard Montreal is supposed to get 15-25 cm.

Yup! Winter has finally arrived(6 weeks late!) but yeah, it's snowing outside and it's about -4, so it won't melt right away!

[MonkeyRonin]

Yeah, it was a fuckin blizzard outside today. we got about 1-2 cm of snow and freezing rain :(

[MonkeyRonin]

....

[SpongeG]

Typically, Vancouver gets hit by three "Pineapple Expresses" in the season...since the beginning of December, it's been hit by four. Hopefully, this isn't a trend - and if it is because of El Nino (as has been mentioned), hopefully it doesn't repeat for the other two years of its cycle.

Maybe Vancouver will get lucky, and repeat the February in had in 2005 :-)

the media here reports somethign like 12 storms since november

we had 2 alone last week

and a 5-10 cm is forcasted for tonight

[SteelTown]

Didn't really get any snow just lots of freezing rain. A few trees in my neighbourhood snapped. All the schools were cancelled, the first snow day of the year.

[IntotheWest]

Back to above 0c temps in Calgary and area...should stay in that "normal" range of -1 to -4 for highs here for at least a week.

Despite the cold in the rest of the prairies - and now out east - it appears Jan's average temps may stay well above normal by the end of the month.

[IntotheWest]

Strange winter continues...

The prairie cold-snap really gripped out east! -30c with w/c in Montreal and Ottawa AND Halifax. Well, at least that should be the worst of it now.

I was speaking with a colleague in Oklahoma today, and the state - along with Texas - is a sheet of ice.

They can get that from time to time...but it's really odd when Malibu California receives snow...I guess we'll be paying more for oranges:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cold18jan18,0,1404930.story?coll=la-home-headlines