Cooling Down

     Beginning today, temperatures will gradually be falling in Winnipeg for the next couple days as an arctic high moving south sweeps frigid air southwards with it. Before the bulk of the cold moves in however, we will have to deal with these scattered flurries that we have been seeing today. These flurries will likely continue on Wednesday with a couple cm possible between this afternoon and Wednesday night.

     The flurries will clear out Wednesday night as the core of the arctic air moves in. Daytime highs will struggle in the mid minus twenties on Thursday. Breezy north winds will send wind chill values well into the minus thirties as well. Friday morning will be frigid with lows likely bottoming out in the minus thirties over southeastern Manitoba. Bundle up!

     At this point, it looks like temperatures will remain near or below seasonal through the weekend into early next week. Beyond that it's too uncertain at this point to make a bold prediction, but there are signs that we may warm up again.

     In other news, be sure to check my 'record books' page (previously known as the statistics page) as I have made improvements. Daily temperature records for Edmonton, Alberta have been added.

Winnipeg Hits -30°C For the First Time in Almost 2 Years

     As of 9 pm, Winnipeg airport has reached -31.5°C. This is the first -30°C reading in Winnipeg since February 25, 2011, ending a 694-day streak without reaching -30°C. This is the longest streak without hitting -30°C at the airport since records there began in 1938, and the second longest streak for the city in general with records back to 1872. The longest streak was at the St. John's College station near downtown from Feb 15, 1930 to Jan 29, 1932, a streak of 714 days.

Brrr!

     A cold night is ahead tonight for Manitoba and northwestern Ontario as the core of the arctic air moves over us as seen in the model image below. The coldest air is expected to be in eastern Manitoba and norhwestern Ontario where lows in the -30's are pretty much a guarantee.

     I think Winnipeg has a very good shot at hitting -30°C tonight as well. It got down to about -29°C last night in the city and with even colder air aloft moving in tonight, I think it would be a miracle if we managed to escape -30°C once again. This would be the first -30°C reading since February 2011 in the city. In fact today marks the 395th consecutive day without hitting -30°C (if we don't hit -30°C this evening before midnight). The longest streak of days without -30°C was 714 days between Feb 15, 1930 and Jan 29, 1932.

     Even if we don't hit -30°C tonight, we will have multiple chances to do so throughout the week as cold air sticks in place. With daytime highs in the minus twenties throughout the week, we may not reach the minus teens until the weekend.

     In addition, wind chills warnings have been issued for all of southern Manitoba for tonight. Wind chills between -40 and -45 are likely tonight and tomorrow morning. This is a time for me to remind everyone that the wind chill is not a temperature. Read my explanation on what the wind chill value means here.

     As I refered to a few lines earlier, we wont see any type of warmup until the weekend. And even that is expected to be brief as we are expected to return into the arctic air next week.

     The top 10 weather events of 2012 are now finished (finally); sorry for the inconvenience as it has taken longer than expected to finish. Things will be getting back to normal with more updates on the current weather. Will have a new post tomorrow about the cold weather.

     Meanwhile, you can also view the honourable mention stories of 2012 in the 'top 10' tab at the top of the blog.

#1 - Top Ten Weather Events of 2012 in the Winnipeg Area

Windom, Minnesota Mar 16;by Sally to Wunderground.com

''March Madness''

     The off the scale-type warmth experienced in mid March was one of the most extreme meteorological events in history across North America. It was extreme in basically every way; its length, its coverage and just how extreme temperatures were compared to normal. After an early end to Winter, Mother Nature fast-forwarded past Spring and went straight to Summer; in many cases, even before the first day of Spring arrived. Temperatures soaring into the twenties and in some cases the thirties shattered thousands and thousands of records basically anywhere east of the Rockies in both Canada and the United States. Remarkably, these record-obliterating hot temperatures lasted for more than a week. As a result, the record books for March got a complete facelift in a way not seen since the insane heat wave of July 1936.

     The length and extremeness of the heat was thanks to the jet stream. The jet stream had entered into a blocking pattern, something that happens periodically anyway, but not to the extent that it did in mid-March. In western North America, the jet stream took a nose dive deep into the southern US while it then took an almost direct south to north path straight up over the Rockies into Canada. This pattern remained more or less anchored for at least a week. The persistent trough off the western coast of North America brought BC, Washington and Oregon cold, wet and snowy weather. Meanwhile, a persistent southwesterly to southerly flow aloft brought extreme warmth, and remarkably even high humidity, east of the Rockies within the persistent ridge of high pressure. This dome of warmth rapidly melted any snow that was on the ground across southern Canada and the northern US negating its cooling effect, another factor in how warm temperatures got.

     Here in Manitoba, the mind-boggling warmth began on March 10 and lasted more or less through the rest of the month, but peaking between the 15th and 23rd. On top of the warmth however, thunderstorms and humidex values also made an unprecendentedly early appearance. As soon as the warmth began, people were flocking to ice cream shops and geese were seen flying over.

     Despite there still being snow on the ground, incredibly warm temperatures aloft allowed temperatures to rise to near-record values on March 10. The high of 6.5°C in Winnipeg was just shy of the old record of 8.3°C in 1902. However, highs of 10.8°C in Melita, 11.1°C in Pinawa, 11.6°C in Pilot Mound and 12.4°C in Portage all broke records. It was even warmer in North Dakota with highs of 18°C in Minot and Jamestown and 22°C in Bismarck! The 22°C in Bismarck broke the old record of 18°C in 2008. Winnipeg got its chance at breaking records the next day with a high of 12.8°C on the 11th, breaking the old record of 12.5°C in 1981. Other records in southern Manitoba included an incredible 15.8°C in Wasagaming, 14.8°C in Pinawa, 14.6°C in Melita and 14.3°C in Sprague. It also reached about 16 to 17°C in the Whiteshell east of Winnipeg, but the station there is not with Environment Canada.

      This warmth and sunshine made for a very rapid snow melt. In Winnipeg, a snow depth of 25 cm  early in the morning on March 10 melted down to nothing by the 14th with grassy patches showing up as early as the 12th. The snow melt was also aided by a very warm night leading to the 12th. The overnight low was 6°C before temperatures dropped in the morning with some rainfall. This is significant because the old record high for the day was 7.2°C in 1922. The rapid melt kept city crews busy clearing street drains deluged with water.

Snow melt progression in Winnipeg from March 10 to 14. Pic by myself

Golfing on Mar 18! Pic by Barb Johnson; sent to TWN

     Temperatures reached the mid double digits in southwestern Manitoba again on the 13th, but the most insane warmth in southern Manitoba began on the 15th. By then, golf courses were beginning to open up one by one, some opening the earliest they ever have. In a normal Spring, they don't usually open until April. Garden centres were also preparing as quickly as possible to be ready for any people itching to begin preparing their gardens. The warmup did come with consequences however. Soils were already beginning to dry up with the sunshine leading to fire bans in eastern and southeastern Manitoba. These fire bans are quite exceptional for that time of year considering we'd usually be worrying about flooding. Fires did spark up in the Winnipeg area and in the RM of Stuartburn on March 16 and 22 respectively. Farmers were beginning to worry about the early dryness leading to drought conditions later in the spring and summer.

     On March 15, temperatures soared into the mid teens across southern Manitoba breaking numerous records. The full list of records can be seen here. Perhaps the most remarkable of these records was in Portage which, with a high of 15.9°C, broke their 126-year old record by 4.8°C! Most records were broken by at least 3 degrees throughout southern Manitoba.

      The first 20°C readings of the warm spell in Manitoba were seen on March 16. On this day, records were not just broken, they were obliterated! Winnipeg just missed 20°C with a high of 19.9°C. However, that broke the record for warmest temperature for so early in the year, breaking the old record by 3.4 degrees (16.5°C on March 6, 2000)! Essentially, this means that this was the earliest in the year that Winnipeg has ever been warmer than 16.5°C. The 19.9°C reading was also 7.5°C warmer than the old record high! The most remarkable margin was in Gretna, which with a high of 19.8°C broke their old record by 12.3°C!! The full list of records can be seen here. It is extremely rare for a station with over 50 years of data to break records by several degrees. To give a perspective, breaking a record high by over 6 degrees in the summer would equate to highs in the 40's.

     Temperatures hit the twenties in a few communities once again on March 17 and about a dozen record highs were obliterated by several degrees. The biggest margin was in Pilot Mound, which with a high of 20.2°C broke their old record by 13 degrees! Many records that were obliterated were set in 2010. The full list can be seen here.

     Just when you thought it couldn't get warmer in March, it did! This time on March 18, the vast majority of southern Manitoba exceeded 20°C making it feel just like summer. Shorts, t-shirts and sandals were worn instead of the winter coats and boots that we would normally be wearing. People flocked to the patios as well. 5 communities (Pinawa, Melita, Gimli, Pilot Mound and Fisher Branch) all broke their old record by more than 10 degrees! Gimli took the title with a high of 21.4°C; 12.2 degrees warmer than the old record for the date! Most communities across southern Manitoba had already broken their record high for the day mid morning, which just goes to show how unusually warm it was.

Mar 17 in Wpg, dressing like it's summer. Pic by CBC MB

     Winnipeg's high of 20.9°C wasn't too shabby neither, breaking the old record by 6.5 degrees. That also makes it the earliest 20 degree reading in history for the city, and also the first 20 degree reading in March in 66 years. In addition, it also broke the record for the warmest temperature for so early in the year; the second time we broke that record in this March warmth. The entire list of records broken in southern Manitoba on March 18 can be seen here. Normal highs for that time of year are around zero, therefore we were over 20 degrees above normal!

     Street cleaning crews started their spring cleanup on March 18, which is about a month earlier than usual.

     Amazingly, humidity was also starting to build in on the 18th. Dewpoints rose into the mid teens, the highest ever in March, bringing a max humidex value of 24.9 in Winnipeg. This was the second time that the city broke the record for all-time March high humidex (we had first broken it on the 16th with a humidex value of 20.5). The old all-time high humidex for March was 18.8 on March 30, 1967.

     March 19, ''theoretically'' the last day of winter, easily took the cake. It turned out to be the most anomalous day ever in southern Manitoba and perhaps the first time air conditioning was needed in March!

     A strong southerly to southeasterly flow of air ahead of a cold front kept temperatures and humidity levels high through the night. The overnight low to start off March 19 in Winnipeg was an extraordinary 16°C; more than 15 degrees warmer than the normal high for the day!!! That was also just 3 degrees off of the record high of 18.9°C for the day. In comparison, an overnight low that much above normal would equate to an overnight low of 30°C in the summer. As Winnipeggers woke up for work or school early in the morning, it was already 17 to 18°C along with dewpoints in the mid teens and lots of sunshine. It felt like a nice July morning!

Map of March 19 showing the heat into Canada and risk of evening storms. Pic by A Weather Moment blog

     At 19°C by 10 AM, the old record high had already been broken for the day. The temperature then rose to an incredible 21°C at 11 AM, along with a humidex of 25. By mid afternoon, the mercury reached an inconceivable 23.7°C along with a humidex of 28.0! May I remind you this was March 19 in Winnipeg! That's the warmest temperature ever recorded in March in Winnipeg, breaking the old record of 23.3°C on March 27, 1946. The humidex of 28.0 was the highest humidex ever in March, breaking the old record of 24.9 set just the day before. It's unimaginable to think just how humid it would have been if there was evapotranspiration going on!

     This wasn't just a Winnipeg story of course. Temperatures reached the low to mid twenties through almost all of southern Manitoba. The hotspot was Gladstone at 25.1°C. 6 towns and cities broke their old record for the day by more than 10 degrees. The warmth reached far north as well with a high of 21.9°C in Berens River. That broke the old record for the day by 13.0 degrees! It was also the warmest March day ever in the town, breaking the old record by 7.5 degrees! This is quite astounding considering that weather records in Berens River go back to just over a century! The full list of daily high temperature records broken on March 19 can be seen here. The list of all-time March high temperature records is as follows:

     What also makes this so astonishing is the fact that these all-time March high temperature records were broken in the middle of the month instead of near the end of the month when it is climatologically warmer.

     By the way, the warmest temperature ever recorded in Manitoba in March was 28.3°C in Morden on March 23, 1910.

     As if the day was not summery enough, a cold front moving through the province in the evening colliding with the extraordinarily high humidity for that time of year sparked off thunderstorms!

     In the morning, the Storm Prediction Center south of the border had put a 2% tornado risk all the way up into North Dakota. A slight risk for severe thunderstorms was also posted all the way up to the Manitoba border. To think that a single lightning strike is highly unusual at that time of year, it's inconceivable to think that the potential for severe thunderstorms was actually in the forecast. The ingredients for the storms were definitely there; decent shear, a very strong low-level jet, surface based CAPE of 1000-1500 J/kg, LI's as low as -5 and surface dewpoints in the mid to high teens. Sounds like a summer setup! (And this was the last day of WINTER).

Lightning Mar 19 near Niverville; by Ryan Buhler to TWN

     In the end, the storms remained non-severe in southern Manitoba but were still quite strong. A long line of storms fired up near Carberry all the way down into North Dakota and Minnesota late in the afternoon and quickly intensified as they moved northwards. The storms had developped into a nice solid line by the time it reached the RRV and the Interlake. The storms entered Winnipeg by 7:45 PM and lasted for about 45 minutes or so, making it the earliest recorded thunderstorm in the city. On top of being the earliest, it was the strongest storm to hit the city in March. The nearly north to south orientation of the line combined with its NNE movement caused the storms to train on some parts of the city. Rain came down in torrents flooding some streets; never thought we'd see the day in March! Vehicles were moving at a crawl on the streets, and some traffic lights were out in parts of the city. A peak rainfall rate of 155.6 mm/hr was recorded at 8:33 PM in Transcona and 135 mm/hr at 8 PM in Charleswood. No hail was reported here in Winnipeg, but hail did fall south of Altona and may have been as large as dimes.

     Frequent and intense lightning was also associated with the line of storms; pretty ridiculous for that time of year. Some cloud-to-ground strikes were seen at times, and lightning flashed every few seconds at peak. This lightning created some issues at the Winnipeg airport. A red alert was issued there around 8 pm meaning ground crews had to stay indoors, causing flight delays. In addition, power was knocked out to 3,800 people in Fort Richmond. Lightning sparked a pole-top fire on Bison Drive. The outage lasted about an hour and a half. More outages were reported in St. James later in the evening and lasted until 1 AM. There were also power outages near Carman, and those lasted a few hours. Generally, winds weren't extreme in this thunderstorm event, but they were quite gusty at times locally. Gusts of 70 km/h were reported in some areas.

     Total rainfall amounts in the storms can be seen here. Also some video to prove that these thunderstorms did in fact occur in Winnipeg on March 19... Video 1 high-rise perspective, Video 2 view from the ground, Video 3 brief capture of a cloud-to-ground stroke.

     Remarkably, the storms reached all the way into the northern Interlake and northern Manitoba in the overnight hours. Thompson was one community to get in on the action with a couple-hours long freezing thunderstorm. This event was particularly exceptional in the city considering that there was still a deep snow pack on the ground and temperatures during the thunderstorm were well-below zero (around -3°C to -4°C). Heavy freezing rain, ice pellets and hail came down making roads especially slippery. A must see video of the thunderstorm in Thompson can be viewed here.

     The dewpoint temperature reached 17.2°C at 8 pm in Winnipeg as the thunderstorm hit, the highest dewpoint ever recorded in March in the city. This was the third day in this March warmth that we had broken this record. Prior to 2012, the highest dewpoint ever recorded in March was 10.6°C on March 30, 1967.

     As dewpoints remained high in the evening after the storm, the temperature only dropped to 13.3°C making that the low for the day. This low is truely astonishing considering it is more than 10 degrees warmer than the normal high and broke the old all-time March high daily minimum temperature by 5.5 degrees! This 13.3°C low for the day was also just under the record high for the next day (March 20) which was 13.9°C in 1878. It is also the earliest double digit daily minimum. The earliest we had a double digit daily minimum prior to 2012 was 11.5°C on April 14, 2010, almost a month later!

    Thanks to the all-time highest daily minimum AND maximum temperature for March, the mean temperature for the day was 18.5°C; more typical of late June. That makes the day 23.4 degrees above normal; the most above normal day in history for any day of the year. Only about a dozen days since 1872 have been more than 20 degrees above the 30 year normal, and we topped them all!

     After cooling down behind the cold front for a couple days (but still being a good 15 degrees above normal), the temperatures skyrocketed again on March 22 with highs in the low twenties; the third day of 20°C weather of the month in Winnipeg. This is truly exceptional considering prior to 2012, only 3 days in March since 1872 have been warmer than 20°C! In contrast to earlier in the week, humidity was low with no humidex values. The full list of records broken on March 22 can be seen here.

     It was a different story the next day, March 23, when dewpoints skyrocketed once again, reaching the mid teens. The minimum temperature of the day in Winnipeg was 8.7°C, the second warmest daily minimum temperature on record for March. Only the low of 13.3°C just 4 days earlier was warmer. However of note, this low of 8.7°C was achieved in the evening. The morning low was an astonishing 12°C. This moisture was ahead of a cold front which moved through early March 24. This front brought yet more thunderstorms to southwestern Manitoba. Temperature which hovered near freezing meant precipitation in Brandon fell as freezing rain during the thunderstorms. Some of the freezing rain was heavy at times making for incredibly treacherous roads.

     Temperatures on March 24 fell below freezing in Winnipeg for the first time since March 15. We had a stretch of 8 consecutive days with a daily minimum temperature above zero. The average minimum through this period was 5.4°C, a good 5 degrees warmer than the normal high for the period!

     Temperatures finally cooled down throughout southern Manitoba for the end of the month to values 15 to 20 degrees colder. However, temperatures were still a few degrees above normal, and on some days more than 5 degrees above normal. Even so, it felt very cold after the summer-like weather mid-month. This just proved how unusual and extreme the warmth mid-month was. You couldn't blame people for forgetting what normal was!

Wpg early March 27. By CanadaNatureShots

     But the unusual weather was still not over. A vigorous system moving from the United States on March 26 and 27 brought yet another bout of thunderstorms to Manitoba. Late on March 26, a large complex of thunderstorms formed in the northern Interlake along the warm front and moved into northern Manitoba. Here in southern Manitoba, it was more of an overnight story in the wee-hours of March 27. The storms were surprisingly decent, especially for that time of year. The thunderstorms rattled Winnipeg around 2:30 AM. Lightning was frequent and intense with flashes every few seconds at peak. The lightning even caused some brief power outages across the city. Hail also fell and was as large as dimes in some areas. In some parts it lasted a good 5 minutes which was enough for the hail to accumulate. Downpours were heavy with 6 to 12 mm of rain in total. It was also surprinsingly cold during the storm with temperatures just a couple degrees above the freezing mark.
     Brief video of the lightning in Winnipeg

Winnipeg hail early Mar 27. By Eric Toupin to TWN

     With 2 thunderstorms in Winnipeg in March, it was just as many thunderstorms as we had in July and August 2011 combined! Prior to 2012, only 3 thunderstorms have been recorded at the Winnipeg airport in March since 1953 (Mar 27, 2004, Mar 29, 1999 and Mar 28, 1960)

     One last day of super-warmth on March 31 was a fitting way to finalize the absurdly-warm month. Temperatures reached 18.8°C in Winnipeg, just 0.1°C off the old record of 18.9°C in 1963.

     With an average mean temperature of 2.2°C, March 2012 went down into the record books as the warmest March in history for Winnipeg. That's a ridiculous 8.0°C warmer than the 1981-2010 normal of -5.8°C!! Daily highs averaged 8.0°C, or 8.8°C above normal and also the warmest on record for March. That broke the old record by 0.8 degrees! In total, there was 43.5 mm of rainfall at the airport, making it the 3rd rainiest March on record. Normal rainfall for March is about 11 mm (1981-2010 normal).

     In total there were 5 days with temperatures warmer than 19.0°C, truly amazing when you consider that prior to 2012 there had only been 4 days of 19°C + since 1872. What had been accomplished in 140 years only took 1 year to beat. Another amazing statistic is the fact that all three 20°C days occured earlier in the month than any 20°C day before 2012.

     In addition, there was no acumulation of snowfall beyond March 8, exceptionally unusual.

     In total through the month of March, at least 35 records were broken in Winnipeg, truly astounding. To finish off the Manitoba part of this story, here's the entire list of records broken in Winnipeg during this unprecedented month.
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     The heat in March covered pretty much all of Canada east of Alberta at at least one point during the month. Thousands of records were broken across the country and in fact it was a record for the most records broken. Hundreds of cities and towns from Nova Scotia all the way to Manitoba experienced their warmest March on record including Halifax, Québec City, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Charlottetown and Fredericton. At times northern Ontario and Québec were as warm as regions along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Ontario and Québec saw the warm temperatures last the longest. While Old Man Winter is usually still hanging on in mid March in those two provinces, in 2012 words such as humidex, tulips, green grass, patios, swimming pools and thunderstorms were used instead. The warmth, which had reached in far northern Ontario, rapidly melted all the snow that was on the ground. In Geraldton for instance, 31 cm of snow cover on March 18 had virtually all melted in just 2 days. In Abitibi-Témiscaming, Québec, more than two feet of snow cover melted down to nothing in as little as a week and a half. It was a similar story in northeastern Ontario with over two feet of snow melting in under 2 weeks.

March departure from normal. Pic by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Peterborough flooding; pic by TWN

     The warmth began with a bang in southern Ontario on March 15. Severe thunderstorms, yes severe, rattled the province in both the morning and evening. Severe storms early in the morning dumped over 20 mm of rainfall over Peterborough, flooding streets. City crews worked for several hours to get the flooding under control. Frequent lightning strikes caused havoc as well. A person was struck by lightning in Cambridge just before 8 am. The victim was taken to hospital and recovered. Some structures in the area were damaged by lightning as well. In the evening, severe thunderstorms moving in from Michigan prompted Environment Canada to issue rare tornado watches for the Windsor area in the evening. Frequent lightning and hail were the main stories with this evening round, including areas as far north as Ottawa. Thunderstorms in Ontario this early in the year are quite rare, but not unheard of, and usually not as strong. (Video of lightning in Windsor)

     After that, the heat really began to turn on across central and eastern parts of the country. In southeastern Saskatchewan, temperatures reached the low twenties on March 16 with many records shattered. Estevan reached 23.0°C and Weyburn 22.2°C, both breaking their old records by 6 or 7 degrees. Estevan reached 23.4°C again on March 22. And then on March 30, most of southern Saskatchewan reached the twenties including 22.2°C in Regina.

     Some of the most impressive records occurred in Ontario however. The warmth reached well-northwards as well. All-time March high records were shattered day after day in many communites between March 18 and 22. Fort Frances in northwestern Ontario broke their old all-time March high of 19.0°C on March 29, 1986 3 times with highs of 21.2°C on the 16th, 24.8°C on the 17th and an unbelievable 26.4°C on the 18th (they reached 26.0°C again on the 19th)! The low temperature on the 19th was 15.1°C or 5 degrees warmer than the record high for the day! In total there was 5 or 6 days of 20°C through the month, which is incredible considering they had never hit 20°C in March before.

     Here's a list I created of highs recorded during the peak of heat spell between March 18 and 22 in Ontario and Québec. The values in bold were all-time March high records broken.

     Some of these are extremely impressive, especially in northern Ontario and in Québec where some areas broke their old all-time March high temperature record by as much as 8 degrees! It's also incredible how Windsor recorded highs warmer than 27°C for 3 consecutive days. In fact, Windsor recorded 10 consecutive days with highs above 20°C, a record for the city and probably all of Canada. The average mean temperature for the month in the city was 9.6°C; over 7 degrees above the March normal and astonishingly a full degree warmer than the April normal! The city also recorded a humidex of 32.3 on the 22nd which breaks the old all-time high March humidex of 29.9 on March 30, 1998 and could possibly be the highest humidex ever in Canada in March. Also of note, the city recorded 6 days with a minimum temperature warmer than 10°C.

     An average mean temperature of 6.7°C for the month in Toronto made it the warmest March ever in the city, breaking the old record by 1.5 degrees (old was 5.2°C in 1946)! That's pretty rare to break a monthly record by that large a margin.

     In Petawawa, Ontario, the mercury reached 28.8°C on March 21, almost 17 degrees warmer than the previous record of 12.2°C. It's also the second hottest temperature ever recorded in Ontario in March. Hottest was 29.4°C in Wallaceburg on Mar 26, 1921.

     The warmth also brought incredibly warm temperatures to the Maritimes on March 20, 21 and 22. Fredericton broke its old all-time March high temperature of 22.2°C on March 30, 1962 3 times. The mercury hit 23.9°C on the 20th, 27.1°C on the 21st and 27.2°C on the 22nd. In Saint John, a high of 25.4°C on the 21st not only broke the all-time record for March by 7.9°C (old record 17.5°C on March 28, 1999), but was warmer than April's all-time maximum of 22.8°C on April 20, 1976! In Nova Scotia, Halifax broke their all-time March high twice with highs of 25.8°C on the 21st and 27.2°C on the 22nd (old record 25.6°C on March 31, 1998). The 27.2°C on the 22nd was also 15.4°C warmer than the old daily record of 11.8°C in 1983. Western Head, Nova Scotia had a high of 29.2°C on the 22nd. That broke the old daily record by a mind-numbing 18.6°C (old record 10.6°C in 1969). Lake Major, NS was the nation's hotspot in March with a high of 30.0°C on March 22, one of the hottest temperatures, if not the hottest, ever recorded in Canada in March.

     There were disadvantages to the early major warmth. The maple sugar season in Ontario and Québec was cut short giving below-normal yields. Blooming trees and plants brought out an early start to the pollen season across the country as well. Flooding was issue in parts of Québec due to an incredibly rapid snow melt and in Perth-Andover, NB, the warmth triggered one of the biggest ice-jams in history. Fruit trees in eastern Canada were hard hit when a widespread freeze occurred in late April. Trees which had bloomed 5 weeks earlier than normal faced major damage. Strawberry yields were generally 50% less than normal, while apple growers were hardest hit. Total losses from the freezes in Ontario were estimated at over 100 million dollars.

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The remainder of this post contains information from Jeff Master's WunderBlog

     South of the border, it was the most extended period of extreme and record-breaking warm temperatures ever in March, going back to the late 1800's. Tens of thousands of records were broken, most of them daily high and low records, all-time March records and records for the warmest its been for so early in the year. And these records were being broken day after day after day. In fact there were so many records being broken that the extremes section of the NOAA National Climatic Data Center website was down for several days. The software could not handle both the large number of records being set, and the huge demand from people wanting to see the records.

Mar 19, Ypsilanti Township, MI; by gardner48197 to wunderground.com

     The warmth also caused flowers and trees to bloom in many states east of the Rockies, including Michigan and Missouri in mid March. This was at least a month earlier than normal. As a result, similar consequences as in Canada were faced. Large parts of Michigan, and along eastern Seaboard had a major freeze on March 27 causing major damage to flowered plants. Fruit growers had worked through the night to try to save their yields by running large fans and propane heaters to attempt to keep temperatures a little warmer. However, damage was still widespread. In addition, the early warmth dried up soils which raised concern for drought later in the season.

     There were a few advantages however. The warmth caused huge savings in heating and snow removal costs and much fewer vehicle accidents from icy conditions.

     In the end it was the warmest March ever in the country. The average temperature was 10.6°C; 4.8°C above normal. The previous warmest March was 1910 at 10.3°C. Of the more than 1400 months of record keeping in 1895, only January 2006 was more above normal. 25 states had their warmest March on record and another 15 had a top-ten warmest March.

     The month also ended up second place for the most daily high temperature records since records began more than 100 years ago. Only July 1936 had more. 11.3% of all daily high records in March are now held by 2012 for the 550 stations in NOAA's database that have more than 100 years of records. July 1936 holds 14.4% of all the daily high records for July.

     Among all the records in the country, 21 were cases where the low temperature for the day was warmer than the previous record high for the date. Examples include:

• A low of 17°C in Rochester, Minnesota on March 18 was warmer than the previous record high of 16°C for the date.
• In Marquette, a low of 11°C on March 21 was warmer than the previous record high of 9°C!
• In International Falls, Minnesota, a low of  16°C (60°F) on March 18 tied the previous record high for the date.

Mar 8-15 departure from normal temp. Pic from A Weather Moment blog

      Many notable records included:

• In Minneapolis, for the March 1 to 20 period, there had only been 9 days in that period since 1872 with a high above 21°C (70°F) prior to 2012. But remarkably, there were 5 such days during that period in 2012. The high of 27°C (80°F) on March 17 was the hottest temperature ever in this period, breaking the old record of 23°C (73°F) on March 7, 2000. The city also broke the record for the warmest its ever been for so early in the year 3 times (on Mar 14, 16 and 17). The monthly high of 27°C (80°F) on March 17 was also just shy of the all-time warmest temperature ever in March of 28°C (83°F) and was 22°C (39°F) above normal for the date. In total, 9 daily high temperature records were broken through the month. Lastly, there were 8 straight days with a daily low above 10°C (Mar 17-24), at least 3°C above the normal highs for the period. The warmest low was 16°C on both Mar 18 and 19, at least 10°C warmer than the normal highs for the dates.
• Bismarck hit a remarkable 27°C (81°F) on March 16 which was 23°C (41°F) above normal for the date. It ties for warmest temperature ever in March, and the warmest it's been for so early in the year.
• In International Falls, Minnesota, it hit 22°C (71°F) on March 16, their earliest 21°C + (70°F +) reading by 2 weeks. Previously, their earliest such reading was March 30, 1967. The town then soared to 25°C (77°F) the next day, 23°C above normal for the date. That was the hottest March day ever, beating the old record by 2°C (old record 23°C (73°F)). However, it also broke the old daily record by 12°C (22°F)!! Records for this town go back to 1895. The all-time March high record didn't stand for long. The next day (Mar 18), the town hit 26°C (79°F) rebreaking the record for warmest March temperature. They then hit 26°C (78°F) again the next day, making it the second warmest March high ever.
• In Huron, South Dakota, it reached a balmy 31°C (88°F) on March 18; just over 24°C (44°F) warmer than the normal high for the date.
• In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it reached 26°C (78°F) on March 14, the warmest it's been for so early in the year going back to 1869 and 20°C above normal. Previous earliest was 25°C (77°F) on March 7 and 8, 2000. The city also broke their all-time highest March temperature with a high of 29°C (84°F) on March 21.
• Madison, Wisconsin also reached 26°C (78°F) on March 14, the warmest it's been for so early in the year going back to 1869. Previous record was 25°C (77°F) on March 7, 2000. A high of 28°C (82°F) the next day was tied for the warmest March day ever (tied with Mar 29, 1986 and Mar 31, 1981). It is also the earliest 27°C + (80°F+) reading by 2 weeks. They then broke the all-time highest March high again on March 21 with a high of 28°C (83°F). Prior to 2012 there had only been 5 days in March with a high warmer than 27°C (80°F), but in March 2012 they had 5 such days. What had taken 143 years to accomplish was matched in 1 year.
• Chicago broke the record for warmest it's been for so early in the year several times. The city saw 5 consecutive days above 27°C (80°F) from Mar 14 to 18. You have to go at least a month later to find such a streak of days. Prior to 2012, there had only been 10 days above 27°C (80°F) in Chicago in March since 1871. They had 8 such days in March 2012. The city hadn't had such a temperature in March in 22 years. 
• Fort Wayne, Indiana reached  31°C (87°F) on March 21, the hottest temperature ever in March.

      Michigan was no stranger to this warm spell. The warmth raised Lake Michigan's water temperature to the warmest ever in March. The average temperature of the lake was more typical of June.

     For two consecutive days (March 20 and 21) the majority of the southern part of the state recorded their warmest temperatures ever recorded in March. A wide swath of the area was near 30°C on Mar 21. Flint's high of 30°C (86°F) was just 1°C (2°F) shy of the all-time warmest April day. On March 22, the temperature reached 32°C (90°F) in Lapeer, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Michigan in March. Ypsilanti and Dearborn both tied the previous record of 89°F. The previous record was 89°F in Lapeer in 1910. Here are some Michigan highlights:

• Detroit had a string of 9 days with temperatures over 21°C (70°F) from the 14th to 22nd. This is the earliest ever to occur, one has to go back to April 16-24 1886 to find a streak that compares for so early in the year. 28°C (83°F) on both Mar 21 and 22 broke the all-time highest temperature in March. Old record was 82°F on March 30, 1986.
• Houghton reached 24°C (76°F) on the 17th and 18th, the hottest temperature ever in March and 24°C (44°F) above normal.
• Traverse City tied or broke their all-time highest March temperature 5 times.
• Pellston's 29°C (85°F) reading on March 21 was a ridiculous 18°C (32°F) warmer than the previous record for the date and 27°C (48°F) above the normal high for the date. Prior to 2012, the town had never hit 27°C (80°F) in March. In 2012, they had 5 such days! The town also broke their all-time March high temperature 5-consecutive times.

Radar image of storm over Ann Arbor. From Jeff Master's blog

      Rare tornadoes made their appearance in Michigan in March 2012. On March 15, at least 3 tornadoes touched down in the state, making it the second largest tornado outbreak for so early in the year. The only larger one to be earlier in the year was on March 12, 1976 when 8 tornadoes touched down in the state. The strongest tornado on March 15 was an EF-3 that hit Dexter. That made it the earliest EF-3 or stronger tornado to hit the state, with records going back to 1950 (previous earliest was an F-3 tornado on March 20, 1976). Surprisingly, the ingredients weren't even that impressive for tornado-formation so the town of Dexter was extremely unlucky. The tornado had an 11.6 km path and a width of up to 700 m. 128 buildings were damaged or destroyed, but luckily there were no injuries or deaths. Prior to 2012, only 16 tornadoes have been recorded to have touched down in Michigan before March 16. The storms also dumped golf ball to baseball sized hail and 100-125 mm of rainfall on Ann Arbor causing lots of flooding.

     Surprisingly there were also tornadoes in South Dakota and Nebraska on the 18th. A strong EF-3 tornado hit North Platte, Nebraska injuring 4 people.

     Some communities in the US also broke or tied the record for the most consecutive days with record high temperatures including:

• International Falls had 10 consecutive days where they broke or tied their record daily high. This beats the previous streak of 5 days between March 3 and 7, 2000.
• Chicago had 9 consecutive record high days, tying the previous longest streak of 9 days between August 26 and September 3, 1953.

      The month featured, similar to Canada, much higher humidity than ever seen in March before for some parts of the US. According to the NWS in Minneapolis, humidity levels in Minnesota on March 18 and 19 were the highest ever experienced in the state for so early in the year.

Mar 21 Washington DC; by KEM to wunderground.com

     Lastly, the heat eventually did reach the Atlantic coast on the 20th and 21st. Here are some highlights from the area:

• Burlington, Vermont's high of 27°C (80°F) on March 20 was the earliest such reading in history and 22°C above normal.
• Concord, New Hampshire (27°C (81°F)) and Bangor, Maine (26°C (78°F)) also had their warmest temperatures for so early in the year on March 20. Caribou, Maine reached 23°C (73°F), the highest temperature ever in March and broke the old daily record by 13°C (23°F).
• For the second consecutive day on March 21, many parts of the east had their warmest temperatures ever for so early in the year. This included Bangor, Maine (28°C (83°F)), Buffalo, New York (28°C (82°F)), Houlton, Maine (26°C (79°F)) and Caribou, Maine (24°C (75°F)).

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This post contains information, photos or video from the following sources:

Jeff Master's WunderBlog
Youtube
Rob's Blog
Environment Canada Weatheroffice and Top 10 weather events of 2012
Manitoba Agriculture
NOAA's National Climatic Data Center
Minnesota Climatology Working Group (University of Minnesota)
CBC Manitoba
Intellicast
The Weather Network
A Weather Moment blog
CTV Winnipeg
Twisterdata.com
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
wunderground.com

Blizzard Summary & Cold Night Ahead

     The highly advertised Colorado Low swept through southern Manitoba yesterday and last night. Very strong winds sustained between 50 and 60 km/h along with gusts over 70 km/h combined with moderate snowfall to create blizzard conditions across the Red River Valley. This was the first blizzard since March 2011.

Snow drift gobbles up my old bike

     The precipitation had actually started as freezing rain and drizzle yesterday night which made roads and highways extremely slick. Some schools and bus services in rural areas were cancelled, and some people did not take the chance to commute into Winnipeg. Later in the day as the blizzard began in the evening, many highways were shut down including the Trans-Canada from Winnipeg to the Saskatchewan border and the Yellowhead. Visibility was next-to-zero in open areas.

     Between 10 and 15 cm of snow fell over Winnipeg in total last night, but it was a difficult measure because of all the blowing snow. Drifts were as deep as a metre in spots while exposed areas were swept clean. Between 15 and 25 cm of snow fell to the east and southeast of the city including in Steinbach.

     The following is video of the blizzard conditions thanks to Global Winnipeg.

[Video is by Global Winnipeg]

     Clearer skies, lighter winds and a new fresh snowcover will allow temperatures to drop to some cold values tonight. Lows in the low minus twenties are likely, and a few -30°C values are possible.

Update on the Blizzard Tonight

Updated map as of 4 PM Jan 11. Warnings by Environment Canada, snowfall amounts my own predictions

      Current indications are that the worst of the snowfall will fall further east than previously anticipated, but moderate amounts are still expected. I'm still anticipating the southeast corner of the province to see 15-30 cm of snowfall tonight into the morning tomorrow, and this would be east and south of Steinbach. 10 to 20 cm everywhere else in southern Manitoba within the warning area on the map above.

     However, it is important to not let our guards down as snowfall isn't the biggest concern. Rather, wind will be the main concern as winds of 50 gusting to 70 km/h in the Red River Valley will provide widespread blowing snow and blizzard conditions regardless of how much snow falls. Travel is not recommend but if necessary be sure to have an emergency kit, blankets and a shovel in your vehicles to be safe.

     I will provide updates through the rest of the day.

BLIZZARD On the Way

Warnings issued by Environment Canada. Snowfall amounts are my own predictions

     A major Colorado Low is set to give southern Manitoba a blast of winter weather over the next 48 hours. Snow and blowing snow will be a major concern throughout the region tomorrow, tomorrow night and early Saturday. Rural travel is highly unrecommend during this period unless it is essential. Highway closures are likely if the current forecast holds up.

     A band of snowfall has already entered the province in the Parkland regions of western Manitoba this evening and that will likely continue through the night with 5-10 cm. Light snow, freezing drizzle or light ice pellets will develop throughout southern Manitoba overnight tonight. Accumulations should not be significant, but roads may become slick if freezing drizzle occurs. A couple cm of snowfall may fall east and southeast of Winnipeg.

     Light snow will likely intensify in the morning, especially over southwestern Manitoba.

     The main event will begin tomorrow afternoon as the main system moves in. Heavy snow and strong winds will worsen through the afternoon throughout southern Manitoba and peak in the evening and overnight. The worse of the winds are expected to be in the Red River Valley where blizzard warnings have been issued. Winds of 50 km/h and gusts up to 70 km/h will be seen, and this along with the potential for 10 to 20 cm of snowfall through the night will cause widespread blowing snow and blizzard conditions. Elsewhere, winds will be about 40 gusting 60 km/h which will still cause significant blowing snow, but these areas are not under blizzard warnings at this time.

     Snowfall amounts tomorrow night will depend highly on the track of the system however, meaning there is still a little uncertainty at this time. Nonotherless, strong winds will provide blizzard conditions whether or not we receive more than 10 cm of snow. With winds over 50 km/h and temperatures below -10°C, it does not take much snowfall to create blizzard conditions. Currently, I am expecting 15 to 30 cm of snowfall in southeastern Manitoba, including Winnipeg. I have put areas west of Winnipeg and Killarney in the 10 to 20 cm zone. However, some higher amounts will be possible over higher elevations and along the escarpment.

     However the situation unfolds, temperatures will drop through the day in most areas reaching the minus teens. Conditions are expected to improve Saturday afternoon, but breezy conditions will likely still create some blowing and drifting snow. A cold night is expected Saturday night with lows near -30°C. Frigid weather is expected to continue for at least the next 2 weeks. Any warmup would be very brief.

     Stay tuned...

Winter Storm Watches Issued, Blizzard Possible Friday

     A winter storm watch has been issued by Environment Canada highlighting the arrival of a major Colorado Low to southern Manitoba tomorrow. At this point it appears 10 to 20 cm is a good bet for areas in this watch, but that's not really the big important problem with the system. Winds of 40 to 50 km/h and gusting to nearly 70 km/h will create extensive blowing snow and blizzard conditions across southern Manitoba. Travel is highly unrecommend tomorrow and Saturday.
     I will update this forecast this evening.

     Meanwhile, number one of the top 10 weather events of 2012 will be posted Sunday or Monday as I will take some time to provide updates on the storm system.

#2 - Top Ten Weather Events of 2012 in the Winnipeg Area

The Winter That Never Was

     The winter of 2011/2012 was exceptional over almost all of North America. It defied seasonal forecasts that were made back in Fall 2010 which had predicted it to be one of the coldest winters in years. It was the absolute opposite. Instead, it was one of the most gentle winters in modern history.

Red River north of Winnipeg JANUARY 4. Pic by Madeleine Goodwin-Ominski/CBC Manitoba

     The seasonal forecasts were in large part based on the fact that it was a weak to moderate La Niña winter. These types of winters are known to be cold and snowy in southern Manitoba, but last winter was an anomaly. An unusually strongly positive AO (arctic oscillation) and NAO (north Atlantic oscillation) indexes through most of the winter overwhelmed the weather pattern over North America, greatly reducing the influence of La Niña. As a result of these positive indexes, the jet stream was stronger, blowing consistently from west to east. Thus, arctic air remained locked in the arctic and cold influxes towards the south were brief and uncommon. Also being further north than usual, the jet stream deflected storms to our north, explaining the minimal snowfall.

Emerson Christmas morning!

     The winter started off with the 9th mildest and 9th least snowy December on record in Winnipeg. The average mean temperature was -8.1°C; 5.4 degrees above the 1981-2010 normal of -13.5°C! The monthly snowfall total of 5.2 cm was just 22% of normal (1981-2010 normal is 24.1 cm). Thanks to the minimal snow and mild temperatures, it was a rare brown Christmas in parts of southwestern Manitoba and through the western and southern RRV with less than 2 cm of snow depth. Some areas didn't even have a snowflake on the ground! This was the first brown Christmas in southern Manitoba since 1997. Meanwhile, Winnipeg's snow depth was at 2 cm, which is considered a white Christmas. Since snow depth records began in 1955, only 7 Christmases in the city have had 3 cm or less on the ground.

     We were also greeted with record-warmth on Christmas day and Boxing Day with highs in the mid to high single digits.

     An incredible streak of warmer than normal days began on December 10, 2011. Following that day, temperatures were above normal everyday until January 11, 2012. This made it 33 consecutive warmer than normal days. Temperatures during this period averaged almost 10 degrees above normal! In addition, there were only 4 colder than normal days between November 21, 2011 and January 11, 2012 (a span of 48 days). Throughout the whole winter (December to February), there were only 18 colder than normal days (out of a possible 91 days).

     The streak of warmer than normal days saw a peak from January 4 to 10. This 7-day period featured temperatures that were at least 10 degrees above normal and in some cases as much as 20 degrees above normal thanks to a brisk Pacific flow of air from the southwest. Normal highs for the period are about -11°C and normal lows about -21°C or so. Instead, we experienced day after day of above zero highs and lows that were in the minus single digits. In fact, for 7 consecutive days the daily minimum temperatures were warmer than the normal daytime highs as we never dropped below -10°C. The average high during the period was about +3°C, or about 14 degrees above normal. Lows averaged about -6°C or about 15°C or 16°C above normal!

Winnipeg Jan 5, lots of grass!

     January 5 saw the peak of the warmth. Mostly sunny conditions, along with minimal snow cover and favourable downsloping winds from the west or southwest allowed for temperatures that were close to some all-time January highs. Winnipeg's high of 6.7°C easily broke the old daily record of 4.3°C in 1984, but was just 1.1°C shy of the all time January high of 7.8°C on January 23, 1942. However, it ties with January 22, 1942, for 3rd warmest January day on record. It likely could have been even warmer if we didn't have any snow on the ground. A couple centimetres of snow depth was probably enough to keep our temperatures a little lower. Areas of extreme southwestern Manitoba and in the western and southern RRV saw these warmer temperatures thanks to snow depth that was pretty much non-existent. The day in these areas started with temperatures that were already near 5 or 6°C at 8 AM. Temperatures then climbed into the double digits in the afternoon. Here are some records that were broken at Environment Canada weather stations outside of Winnipeg that day:

     A high of 12.7°C was also reported at the Pierson station southwest of Melita, but that station is for Manitoba Agriculture. Highs of 8°C and 9°C were reported as close to Winnipeg as Headingley, Sanford and Starbuck. 10°C readings were as close as Sperling and Elm Creek. The Forks reached 7.6°C and Charleswood reached 7.4°C.

     These highs did not break the all time January high for Manitoba. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Manitoba in January was 14.5°C in McCreary on January 7, 2003.

     Numerous all-time January highs were recorded in North Dakota. Fargo reached 13°C (old record 12°C), Minot 16°C (old 15°C), Williston 14°C (old 13°C) and Jamestown 13°C (tied).

Golf in Carman JANUARY 4! Pic by Dean North sent to TWN

     It was absolutely exceptional to have so much grass showing up in early January. The super warm day brought snow depth down to 1 or 2 cm in Winnipeg, but there were several bare spots with grass and mud visible. Some people took advantage of the snow-free ground in the western and southern RRV to do some golfing!!!

     A record high daily minimum of -5.2°C was also recorded that day. The following night (early January 6), a rare overnight rainfall fell over the city with about 1 mm recorded.

     More super warm days followed on January 9 and 10. Winnipeg reached between 4 and 5°C on both days. A high of 5.1°C on January 10 (which actually occured near midnight) tied the old record. Records were broken in other parts of southern Manitoba with highs in the mid to high single digits. It looked like April in Emerson on January 9 with sunny skies, a high of 7.5°C and not a snowflake on the ground.

     A cool down mid month was anything but the frigid temperatures that we come to expect in the winter, but it was almost unbearable after the incredible warmth to start the month. A zonal flow across North America kept the coldest arctic air in the arctic, and kept it brief. It didn't even get down to -30°C once in Winnipeg thanks to downsloping winds from the west on the coldest nights.

     Mild weather returned late in the month, ending January with an average mean temperature of -10.8°C; 5.6 degrees above normal and 3rd warmest January on record.

     We did not hit -30°C once in January, something that has only happened 3 times since 1873 (1931, 1944 and 2001). In addition, there were 8 days with above zero temperatures, tying with 1944 for second most days on record for the month (record is 14 days in 1942). Snow depth remained at or below 10 cm everyday up to the 31st. Normal is closer to 15 to 20 cm. A depth of 3 cm of January 1 was tied for 3rd lowest on record for the day, and a depth of 11 cm on January 31 tied for 8th lowest.

Near Neepawa FEBRUARY 21!! By Dean Robinson to TWN

     February defeated the odds by continuing to be mild and calm for the first half of the month. Remarkably, parts of southwestern Manitoba, the western and southern RRV and southern and western North Dakota remained nearly snow-free during this first half, and even for part of the second half. In Winnipeg, snow depth was still only about 6 or 7 cm on February 13, 3rd lowest for the day since 1955.

     February 5 featured the peak of the warmth through the month with temperatures once again reaching over 15 degrees above normal. Abundant sunshine and a westerly downslope wind helped temperatures rise into the mid to high single digits. A high of 6.8°C was reached in Winnipeg, just shy of the old record of 7.2°C in 1963. Highs attaining 7 to 9°C were common west and southwest of the city, with a maximum of 9.9°C in McCreary. Surprisingly, only 3 records were broken across southern Manitoba (Melita 6.3°C, Pilot Mound 8.8°C and Fisher Branch 5.6°C).

February 1 Winnipeg. Pic by Barb Johnson to TWN

      It wasn't until the second half of the month that things finally changed. A potent snowfall on February 20/21 marked the ''unofficial start to winter'' in Winnipeg and southeastern Manitoba with 2 to 10 cm in Winnipeg and 10 to 20 cm in southeastern Manitoba and the southern RRV. And the two week-long winter began. Several snow storms during the last week of the month into the first week of March dumped in excess of 25 cm of snowfall over Winnipeg and over 40 cm southeast of the city. The storm of March 1/2 was particularly potent with about 10-20 cm of snow across the RRV along with strong winds and lots of blowing snow. Travel disruptions were numerous with many collisions and highway closures. A warmup in March put an end to what will be known as the 2-week long winter, with all the new snow melted less than 2 weeks later.

     In the end, it was the 4th mildest winter on record in Winnipeg since these records began in 1873 (winter is considered December to February). The average mean temperature for the three month period was -9.7°C; 4.8 degrees above the 1981-2010 normal of -14.5°C!

     The winter minimum was a measly -28.9°C. This is the first time that the airport has not hit -30°C in the winter since records began there in 1938. It is also only the second time that the city has not hit -30°C since the winter of 1872/1873 (I make the difference because prior to 1938 temperatures were taken near downtown and not at the airport). This was in the winter of 1930/1931, when the winter minimum was just -29.4°C. That also makes winter 2011/2012's minimum of -28.9°C the warmest winter minimum on record. How can we be called Winterpeg if we can't hit -30°C even once?   :)

     In total there were 20 days with temperatures above zero from December to February, more than the normal of about 10 days. However, this Winnipeg value was meager in comparison to communities in the western and southern RRV. For instance, Morden had 41 above zero days (out of a possible 91 days).

     As mentioned previously, up to mid February snowfall was minimal. Only just over 25 cm fell from December 1 to February 14. Most of these snowfalls were minor with less than 5 cm. This along with the mild temperatures and sunny skies explained why snow depth was so minimal or non-existent in southern Manitoba through most of the winter. Including late February, there was 44.2 cm of snowfall through the whole winter; 72% of normal.

     The warmth caused some rare occurrences.

     Allergies had actually become a problem in January for allergy-sufferers thanks to the constant freeze-thaw cycle, the lack of snow cover and the unusually warm temperatures.

     City crews were filling potholes in January, something that is extremely rare. The pothole season does not usually begin until late February or early March. This was thanks to the freeze-thaw cycle as temperatures were near zero at day and below zero at night.

     As expeceted, the warmth and lack of snow through the winter also hurt winter businesses. Snow removal businesses were hauling only a fraction of the snow they normally would. Some winter clothing businesses reported a drop of 50% of their sales. Snowmobile sales were down as snowmobile trails were closed across most of the province. And for skaters, skating rinks such as at The Forks, Assiniboine Park and on the Assiniboine River were forced to shut down on many days due to significant melting. In fact, many rivers had a lot of open water well into the winter. The Red River had sections of open water here and there throughout January and in February. Any ice present was extremely thin.

Jan 26. By Laurette Fellows to TWN

     A few trees even began to bud in January on some of the warmest days. This is not unheard of, but is certainly a sign that it was way warmer than it should have been.

     In early January, a health emergency was declared in Berens River, on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg. Impassable winter roads were preventing supplies from reaching the community, and the community had run out of gasoline. Health workers could not reach patients who needed regular care as a result.

     There were a few advantages. The spring flood was much less significant thanks to the minimal snowfall as well as the dry soils. The warm weather also brought people outside more instead of being cooped up inside all winter.

     The winter of 2011/2012 was just as unusual across most of Canada and the United States. Across Canada, winter (Dec to Feb) was 3.6°C above normal and 3rd warmest winter since these records began in 1948. It was also the second driest. Here in the Prairies more specifically, it was the 3rd warmest as well as the driest. The warm weather was thanked for causing huge energy savings as well as saving governments money on snow clearing.

     In Toronto, it was the warmest winter ever since records there began in 1840. With 41.8 cm of snow it was also the least-snowiest. There was no measurable snowfall after March 1. In Montreal, the mercury never dipped below -20°C, the first time ever. Across Alberta and Saskatchewan, grass fires occured instead of snowfall. The ground was bare across much of southern Saskatchewan and Alberta well into January. Strong chinook winds brought temperatures exceeding 10°C in southwestern Saskatchewan and through much of Alberta on January 4 and 9. On the 4th, it reached as high as 16.4°C in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, breaking its old record by about 5-6°C. Similarly, in Alberta temperatures reached 15.3°C in Calgary, and almost all of southern and central Alberta reached double digits. However, the chinook winds that day brought incredible gusts over 110 km/h in southern Alberta causing lots of damage. In addition, some sections of rivers in Saskatchewan were virtually ice-free into February.

Qu'appelle River near Craven in Saskatchewan FEBRUARY 19. By Stew Fettes to TWN

     South of the border, people were golfing instead of skiing throughout the winter. For the contiguous US it was the 3rd least snowy January on record since these records began in 1967. 95% of the country that normally had snow in early January had below-normal snow-cover at that time. The northern Plains had an incredible lack of snowfall with virtually bare ground well into January.

     In January, flowers were sprouting in New Hampshire, cherry trees were budding in Washington DC, peach trees were budding in Georgia and in Oklahoma daffodils were blooming. In Nebraska, temperatures reached the high teens in early January, more than 15°C above normal in some cases. And in Washington DC, temperatures were near 20°C late month.

     Lastly, in Fargo it was the warmest winter ever with an average mean temperature of -5.5°C.

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This post contains information, photos or video from the following sources:

Environment Canada Weatheroffice & top 10 weather events of 2012
CBC Manitoba
CTV Winnipeg
The Weather Network
Jeff Master's WunderBlog
Emerson Webcam
Rob's Blog
Wikipedia
CBS News
Google Maps
NWS Grand Forks