This Day in Weather History - August 23

Frigid afternoon of August 23, 1992 (2nd coldest August afternoon since 1953)

It had already been a cold summer across southern Manitoba in 1992, and August 23rd was no exception. After a round of thunderstorms associated with a cold front on the 22nd, temperatures plunged on the 23rd. Although the daily high at Winnipeg airport was 15.1°C, that temperature occurred at midnight. Temperatures continued to fall through the night, and then hovered around 10°C all day. It was also cloudy with a light rain and drizzle falling the entire day with moderate northerly winds. This made it feel more like October than August.

It was, in fact, the 2nd coldest August afternoon on record since 1953 (when hourly observations began). Up to 2023, only 2004 had a colder August afternoon. 

Afternoon temperatures and how they compared to August records since 1953:

1 pm......10.6°C

2 pm......9.8°C........2nd coldest since 1953. Coldest was 9.7°C in 2004.

3 pm......10.5°C......2nd coldest since 1953. Coldest was 9.6°C in 2004.

4 pm......10.2°C......2nd coldest since 1953. Coldest was 9.5°C in 2004.

5 pm......10.1°C......2nd coldest since 1953. Coldest was 9.1°C at 2004.

6 pm......9.9°C........2nd coldest since 1953. Coldest was 9.0°C in 2004. 

In Brandon, the daily high was a measly 11.1°C, tied with 1904 as the 4th coldest August daily high temperature since 1890. It was also the coldest since 1934. Morden only reached 11.0°C, its 2nd coldest August daily maximum since 1904. 

The cold summer was largely attributed to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The central and eastern parts of the continent had a very cold and cloudy summer in 1992, while the west coast was warm and sunny.