Warmest November & 2nd Warmest Fall on Record Shatter Multiple Records in Winnipeg

With an average mean temperature of 3.1°C, November 2016 goes down as the warmest on record since 1872. This shattered the old record of 1.3°C in 1899 and 1923 by 1.8°C! The last time we broke a monthly record by this margin was in January 2006 when an average mean temperature of -7.4°C broke the old record of -10.6°C in 1944 (record margin of 3.2°C!).

Below is a full list of records broken during our warmest November on record this year in Winnipeg.

Warmest November on Record in Winnipeg, Manitoba (2016)

Average mean temperature 3.1°C (previous record: 1.3°C in 1899 and 1923) (breaks old record by 1.8°C!)

Average high temperature 7.2°C (previous record: 7.1°C in 2009)

Average low temperature -1.0°C (previous record: -3.2°C in 1923) (breaks old record by 2.2°C!)

2nd Warmest Fall on Record (2016)

Average mean temperature 8.0°C  (warmest was 1963 with average of 8.6°C and 2016 beats 7.9°C in 1931)

Average high temperature  12.8°C  (tied with 1931 and 2009 for 4th warmest)

Average low temperature  3.3°C   (warmest on record, beating 2.9°C in 1931)

Most ''Humid'' November and Fall on Record (2016)

November average dewpoint  0.3°C   (breaks old record by 3.2°C (-2.9°C in 2015))

Fall average dewpoint  4.4°C (breaks old record of 3.6°C in 2009)

Daily Temperature Records (6)

Nov 6:         16.7°C high max – Tied with 1975

Nov 6:          7.4°C high min –   Old 5.6°C in 1906 and 1922 – Also 4^th highest on record in November

Nov 9:         18.8°C high max – Old 14.4°C in 1923 – Also latest date to reach 18°C on record

Nov 9:          4.8°C high min –   Old 2.8°C in 1969

Nov 12:       13.6°C high max – Old 13.2°C in 1981

Nov 24:        0.1°C high min –   Old 0.0°C in 1988

Daily Dewpoint Records (11)

Nov 4:          9.7°C high max –  Old 9.5°C in 1981

Nov 5:          2.2°C high min –   Old 1.7°C in 1956

Nov 6:         12.3°C high max – Old 9.4°C in 2000 – Also highest dewpoint on record in November

                                                                                   Old 11.1°C on Nov 5, 1956

Nov 6:         4.9°C high min –    Old 1.4°C in 1977 – Also 3^rd highest on record in November

Nov 7:         10.8°C high max – Old 10.4°C in 1977 – Also 3^rd highest on record in November

Nov 9:         7.7°C high max –   Old 6.1°C in 2010

Nov 23:      -0.4°C high min –   Old -1.5°C in 2001

Nov 24:      -0.2°C high min –   Old -0.7°C in 1988

Nov 28:      -1.0°C high min –   Old -1.1°C in 1998

Nov 29:       3.4°C high max –  Old 2.1°C in 1998

Nov 29:      -1.5°C high min –   Old -2.3°C in 1987

Other records

Nov 22:    Latest date to record first measurable snowfall of the season – Old Nov 21, 1963

Apr 11 to Nov 21 – 225-day period without measurable snowfall – 3^rd longest snow-free period on record
10 days above 10°C - tied with 1981 and 2009 for 2nd most (most was 11 days in 1904)
Streak of 7 days above 10°C - tied with 2009 for 2nd longest (longest was 8 days from Nov 2 to 9, 1963)

• Only 5 days dipped below -5°C, breaking the old record of 7 days in 1899.
• Only one day dipped below -10°C, tied with 1912, 1923, 1981 and 2001 for the least on record.
• Only 18 days dipped below freezing, breaking the old record of 20 days set in 2015. Normal is 28 days.
• 28 days exceeded the freezing mark, tied with 2009 for 2nd most. Most was 29 days in 1899.
• 4 days exceeded 15°C, tied with 1903 and 1981 for most on record.

 

April - First Colder Than Normal Month Since August

Snow April 1 in Winnipeg

It was a very cold start to April this year with frequent snowfall and consistently below normal temperatures up to the 12th. The cold conditions were a slap in the face considering the fact it was extremely warm, at times record warm, in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The harshest day was April 2nd. The high was a measly -6.4°C, not quite breaking the record low maximum of -13.3°C in 1954. Some light snow fell in the afternoon as well. This was in sharp contrast to out west where widespread record warmth occurred. Regina reached a record 22.3°C, breaking the old record of 21.8°C in 1991. This was a 28.7°C spread between Winnipeg and Regina on the same day! Parts of southern Alberta also reached the mid to high twenties in the first half of April, all while most of Manitoba was stuck in a cold pattern.

Temperatures finally warmed by mid month with the first 20°C of the year recorded in parts of Winnipeg on April 14. The airport didn't reach its first 20°C until April 20. Just as temperatures finally began to warm up mid month however, a 3-day rainstorm drenched southern Manitoba from the 15th to 17th as a strong low pressure system moved in from the US, pumping significant amounts of moisture from the south. A general 25 to 60 mm fell in the Red River Valley with the highest amounts close to the US border. Generally 35 to 45 mm fell in Winnipeg specifically. Southwestern Manitoba even received some more snow with the system with the highest amounts in Riding Mountain where an estimated 15 cm fell on the 15th.

Maple tree budding April 25 in Winnipeg

Another system brought 5 to 10 mm of rain along the US border on April 24, bringing monthly totals over 60 mm in some locations including 62.1 mm in Emerson.

Other than some ice pellets in the evening on the 23rd, the remainder of the month was quiet and seasonal.

Overall, April averaged 2.8°C in Winnipeg, 1.7°C below normal and the first colder than normal month since August. This ends a 7-month streak of warmer than normal months. April was much warmer out west as mentioned. Calgary averaged 8.8°C, the second warmest April on record. This follows a 3rd warmest March and 2nd warmest February. The west has been on a serious warm streak this year.

March Brought Another Early Spring to Southern Manitoba

For the second year in a row and for the fourth time in the last seven years, March brought a very early spring to southern Manitoba.

The month started out cold with lows in the -20's on the first three days, but spring-like temperatures arrived just a couple days later and lasted the remainder of the month. In fact, after March 4 only four days failed to exceed the freezing mark in Winnipeg. In the end, the month averaged -2.0°C at Winnipeg Int'l Airport, 3.8°C above normal and the 12th warmest March on record since 1872.

Winnipeg on March 11

Temperatures early month were warmest where there was little to no snow cover. Extreme southwestern Manitoba and the Morden-Winkler area already reached double digit highs on March 5 and 6. After a brief cool down (which still featured warmer than normal temperatures), record warm temperatures spread throughout the remainder of southern Manitoba by March 10 and 11 with widespread double digit highs lasting until March 14. Winnipeg reached 12.2°C on March 12, breaking the old record of 9.7°C in 2012. A high of 13.1°C two days later narrowly missed the old record of 13.2°C set just last year. It was warmer to the south and west. Morden reached its highest temperature for so early in the year three times with record highs of 16.0°C on the 11th, 16.2°C on the 13th and 18.5°C on the 14th. The high of 18.5°C on the 14th broke the old record of 18.3°C set just last year. Prior to 2015, the old record for the day was 11.2°C in 2012. It is mind boggling to think a record could be broken by such a large margin two years in a row. This highlights how unusually early warm temperatures have been arriving in recent years.

In Brandon, four record highs were reached and one was tied during the warm spell. A high of 17.9°C on the 15th not only broke the daily record of 14.9°C in 2012 by a 3°C margin but was also the warmest temperature for so early in the year since 1890. Melita took top honours with a high of 20.5°C on March 14, the earliest high over 20°C on record in Manitoba. The previous earliest 20°C was on March 16, 2012 when several locations reached the low 20's.

Thanks to the warmth, everything was early this year in southern Manitoba. Migratory birds already arrived by early to mid March. Snow and ice melt were unusually early as well. The snow pack eroded from southwest to northeast with Brandon losing its snowpack by around March 10. Winnipeg's snow pack reached 0 cm by March 15, tied with 1995 and 2015 for 3rd earliest snow melt on record since 1955. River ice also disappeared by the end of March.

Comparing 2016 to 2013 around the same time in mid March in Winnipeg

The thunderstorm season also came to an early start. Isolated thunderstorm cells occurred late evening on March 7 in southeastern Manitoba and occurred as close to Winnipeg as Selkirk. Winnipeg's earliest recorded thunderstorm was on March 19, 2012, but no thunderstorms occurred in the city in March this year. Stronger thunderstorms pushed into southwestern Manitoba from North Dakota late evening on March 14 and overnight on March 15. Pea to dime size hail was reported in the Killarney area along with a decent lightning show. The thunderstorms were associated with a strong system moving up from the US. Heavy rains spread across the Red River Valley in the morning on March 15. Generally 15-20 mm of rain fell in Winnipeg for the day. 15.7 mm fell at the airport, breaking the old record of 11.4 mm in 1946 for the day. The heavy early season rains caused overland flooding because the ground was still frozen. A state of emergency was issued in one municipality southeast of Winnipeg due to flooding concerns. Fields were underwater.

The system which moved into Ontario pumped ample moisture westward back into Manitoba late March 16 into early March 17. Heavy snow spread from east to west. Generally 5-10 cm fell from Brandon eastward with 10-15 cm close to the Ontario border (14 cm in Pinawa). In Winnipeg, 8-10 cm fell. The snow was very wet and stuck onto anything it landed on making for a spectacular winter scene in the morning as seen in the photos below that I took.

Generally mild conditions continued through the remainder of the month with a couple more double digit days at the end of the month.

Similar to February, warm temperatures in March were increasingly extreme as you went westward and southward. Average temperatures and ranking for March are provided below:

Brandon MB ................. -0.6°C ....... 6th warmest
Regina SK ....................    0.3°C ....... 5th warmest
Calgary AB ..................    3.3°C ....... 3rd warmest
Grand Forks ND ..........    2.2°C ....... 2nd warmest
Fargo ND ....................    3.6°C ........ 3rd warmest

Some milestones were reached. In Regina, a high of 17.3°C on March 5 was the earliest high over 17°C on record since 1884. It broke the old record by two weeks (old record March 18, 1910). In addition, 5 record highs were broken during the month, including a 4-day streak of record highs from the 10th to 13th. In Bismarck ND, temperatures reached 24°C on March 6, the earliest it has been that warm on record. The warmth extended into the Yukon as well with Whitehorse reaching an all-time March high twice with highs of 12.7°C on the 29th and 16.8°C on the 31st. These broke the old all-time March high record of 11.7°C in 1979. The high of 16.8°C on the 31st was three weeks earlier than Whitehorse has seen before. It was so warm out west that there were reports of budding trees in late March and farmers seeding their fields in mid March in southern Alberta, a couple weeks earlier than ever seen before.

Mild February

It was a mild and snowy February overall in Winnipeg. Cold was lacking with only one cold spell from the 8th to 13th with temperatures slightly below normal. The monthly minimum of -27.9°C occurred on the 13th.

Mild conditions dominated the remainder of February. 6 days exceeded the freezing mark in Winnipeg, close to the normal of 5 days. It was warmer to the southwest however, where snowpack was thin to non-existent. Melita in southwestern Manitoba managed to reach 9°C on February 6 and 26.

Manitoba actually missed out on the most anomalously warm conditions which occurred in areas such as Alberta, Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

Hoar Frost south of Winkler on Feb 1, 2016. Little snow on the ground.

There was little to no snow on the ground from Melita, MB westward to Calgary, AB in February. Persistent warmth was the story in this area, especially in southern Alberta. After February 3rd, every single day exceeded the freezing mark in Calgary and this streak has continued into March. In addition, 7 days in February reached double digits with a monthly high of 16.9°C on February 26. There was also a lack of snow with not a single snowfall from February 2nd to 27th. With just 1.8 cm, it was the 5th least snowy February since 1885 in Calgary. Lethbridge, AB was even warmer in February with 15 days reaching double digits. Saskatchewan also received this extreme warmth. Only 11 days failed to exceed the freezing mark in Regina. The monthly high was 13.2°C on February 26, the second warmest temperature on record in February since 1884.

From east to west, here’s how February averaged and ranked across the southern Prairies:

February 2016 average and rank in major cities across the southern Prairies 

City	February 2016 average	Deviation from 1981-2010 normal	Rank
Winnipeg, MB	-11.1°C	+ 2.4°C	Tied 22nd warmest
Brandon, MB	-9.3°C	+ 4.3°C	7th warmest
Regina, SK	-4.5°C	+ 7.6°C	4th warmest
Calgary, AB	1.4°C	+ 6.8°C	2nd warmest

 In North Dakota, the warmest conditions occurred in southwestern parts of the state. Bismarck reached a record 23°C on February 27, the warmest temperature ever recorded in North Dakota in February. The previous state record was 22°C in 1992.

Despite the warmth, some winter storms still occurred. Blizzard and blowing snow conditions occurred February 7 and 28. Both produced severely reduced visibility in the Red River Valley resulting in numerous highway closures. In addition, both welcomed the arrival of much colder conditions. 

The month finished off with two thundersnow events close to the US border. A lone lightning strike occurred northeast of Altona after midnight on February 23. More thundersnow occurred near Langdon, ND in the evening on February 28.

In total, there was 24.0 cm of snow in Winnipeg, 10 cm above normal and tied 33rd snowiest February since 1873.  It is a little hard to believe it was so snowy considering there really wasn't any major snowfalls. The greatest snowfall on February 27 only dumped about 5 cm. Frequent small snowfalls were to blame for the high monthly totals.

The Ice Show in Winnipeg was a new festival added in 2016

A Mild January Overall

January was a mixed-bag in terms of temperature in southern Manitoba. The month started off mild, but frigid conditions moved in mid month. Well above normal conditions returned late month. Overall, January was 1.8°C above normal at Winnipeg airport, tied 29th warmest since 1872.

Some fields were nearly bare in late January south of Winkler

Frigid conditions occurred from the 9th to 18th. Highs during the period averaged about -20°C and lows -28°C. These were the coldest conditions so far this winter, but thankfully they were short-lived. Warm conditions returned late month with record warmth at times in some locations. 3 days exceeded the freezing mark in Winnipeg; the 29th being the warmest at 3.3°C. No records were broken in Winnipeg. Brandon, on the other hand, reached a record 3.5°C on the 27th. The extended warmth melted much of what little snow there was on the ground in southwestern Manitoba and along the US border. Fields were left nearly bare in some locations, a rare sight in late January.

In terms of precipitation, it was a dry January overall. Meager snowfalls of 1-2 cm were common in the Winnipeg area, but major snowfalls were not. Just one ''major'' snowfall occurred: on January 27, around 7 cm of snow fell. Areas along the US border from Winkler to Melita saw even less snow in January with no more than 10 cm in some areas. Rain and freezing rain even occurred at times late month. Winnipeg saw some rain as well on January 27 and 29 but only less than 0.5 mm.

The #1 Weather Story of 2015 in the Winnipeg Area

#1 - Record-Breaking December Warmth Finishes Off 9th Warmest Year Since 1873

Remarkable warmth started December across southern Manitoba. 8 to 10 days in the first half of the month exceeded the freezing mark in Winnipeg, above the normal of 4 days for the month. 14-consecutive days from the 3rd to 16th never dropped below -9°C at Winnipeg airport, amazing when you consider this was close to the normal high. Temperatures reached 7°C downtown and 4°C at the airport on the 3rd, one of the warmest days of the month. The only record broken during the warm spell was on December 9 when a high of 5.6°C at the airport broke the old record of 5.1°C in 1990.

The warmth was most impressive where there was no snow cover. 3 to 7 cm of snow was leftover from November in the Winnipeg area and this limited temperature. Areas without snow cover southwest of the city and in southwestern Manitoba were much warmer. Many locations reached double digits and in some cases more than once. In Morden, four days exceeded 10°C, three of which were record highs. The high of 14.2°C on December 4 was the third warmest on record in December since 1904. Some thermometers reportedly reached 15°C, more typical of late September or early October. No snow was on the ground at the time. A similar milestone was reached in Brandon with a high of 11.1°C on the 4th, the third warmest temperature in December since 1890.

The first half of December (December 1 to 15) averaged -3.0°C at Winnipeg airport, the second warmest first half of December on record since 1872. The warmest was in 1913 with an average of -2.1°C. The month as a whole averaged -8.1°C, tied with 2011 for 9th warmest December since 1872.

A warm December was a fitting end to a warm year. 2015 averaged 4.2°C, the 9th warmest year on record since 1873. Highs averaged 10.1°C, tied 7th warmest. This was only the 9th year since 1873 to see highs averaging in the double digits and the 3rd in the last 10 years.

9th Warmest December Fitting End to 9th Warmest Year

It was a tale of two seasons in December. The month began remarkably mild with temperatures more typical of October. By mid month, winter made an abrupt entrance as a parade of snowstorms buried southern Manitoba just days before Christmas.

As mentioned, remarkable warmth started December across southern Manitoba. Temperatures exceeded the freezing mark for 8 to 10 days in Winnipeg during the first half of December. December normally only sees 4 days above freezing according to the 1981-2010 normal. 14-consecutive days from the 3rd to 16th never dropped below -9°C at Winnipeg airport, amazing when you consider this is about the normal high in December. One of the warmest days was on December 3 when temperatures reached 7°C downtown and 4°C at the airport. The only record broken during the warm spell was on December 9 when a high of 5.6°C at the airport broke the old record of 5.1°C in 1990.

The warmth was most impressive where there was no snow cover. 3 to 7 cm of snow was leftover from November in the Winnipeg area and this actually kept temperatures lower than they could have been. Areas without snow cover southwest of the city and in southwestern Manitoba saw much warmer temperatures. Many locations reached double digits and in some cases more than once. In Morden, four days exceeded 10°C, three of which were record highs. The high of 14.2°C on December 4 was the third warmest on record in December since 1904. Some thermometers reportedly reached 15°C, more typical of late September or early October. There wasn't a single snowflake on the ground at the time. A similar milestone was reached in Brandon with a high of 11.1°C on the 4th, the third warmest in December since 1890.

The first half of December (December 1 to 15) averaged -3.0°C at Winnipeg airport, the second warmest first half of December on record since 1872. The warmest was in 1913 with an average of -2.1°C.

Winter set in by December 16. Three snowstorms occurred from the 16th to 23rd, dumping 40 cm of snow in Winnipeg. The biggest snowstorm was on the 16th and 17th when about 20 cm fell in Winnipeg. Strong winds helped carve drifts up to two-feet deep in some spots. 18 cm fell on the 16th alone at the official Charleswood station, breaking the old record of 8.4 cm in 1942 for the day. With all the snow in mid December, travel was difficult. Residential streets were difficult to navigate and vehicles were getting stuck in the snow. Thanks to the snowfall, snow depth in Winnipeg sat at 30 cm on Christmas morning, the deepest snow pack on Christmas day in 15 years (since a 30 cm depth in 2000).

In total, 44.0 cm of snow fell in Winnipeg in December, 83% above normal and the 12th snowiest December on record. With an average mean temperature of -8.1°C, it was also the 9th warmest December on record since 1872. This was 5.4°C above normal.

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It was a very warm year across southern Manitoba overall. In Winnipeg, 2015 averaged 4.2°C, the 9th warmest year on record since 1872. Highs averaged 10.1°C, tied 7th warmest. This was only the 9th year since 1872 to see highs averaging in the double digits and the 3rd in the last 10 years.

In terms of precipitation, amounts were very close to normal at the airport. However, other parts of the city saw much more precipitation. At my station in south St Vital, there was 544.0 mm of rain, 120.4 cm of snow and 632.3 mm of precipitation.

More details will be provided in a future post on A Weather Moment so stay tuned.

#4, #3 & #2 - Top 10 Weather Stories of 2015 in the Winnipeg Area

#4 - May Long Weekend Storm System

The strongest low pressure system of the year, a Colorado Low, slammed southern Manitoba during the May Long Weekend. Heavy rain, damaging wind, large waves on the lakes and even snowfall occurred, making for one of the worst May long weekends in recent memory weather-wise.

The rain in Winnipeg began late on Saturday May 16 and continued throughout the entire day on Sunday May 17. In total, 35-50 mm fell in the city. 31.3 mm fell at Winnipeg airport on May 17 alone, breaking the old rainfall record of 22.9 mm in 1903 for the day. The heaviest rains fell southwest of Winnipeg and in southwestern Manitoba. 50-90 mm fell from Morden to Carman to Melita. Significant overland flooding occurred as a result. Many farm fields were underwater.

The rain was accompanied by very strong winds. Winds were sustained between 47 and 63 km/h at Winnipeg airport for 22-consecutive hours, from 6 am on May 17 to 3 am on May 18. Wind gusts were stronger, gusting at times between 80 and 95 km/h. A peak gust of 93 km/h was recorded in Winnipeg. The wind damaged property, caused power outages and uprooted trees. In addition, larges waves and storm surge occurred on Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg. Some local residents on the south shore of Lake Winnipeg said it was one of the worst storms they've seen on the lake.

Behind the system on Monday May 18, snow and strong wind occurred. Temperatures dipped to freezing in the evening on May 17, causing rain to changeover to snow. Snow continued throughout the night, ending in the morning. The cold and wind combined to produce wind chill values of -9. About a dusting to 3 cm of snow fell in Winnipeg, depending where you were. 2.5 cm was measured in Charleswood on May 18 alone, just shy of the old snowfall record of 3.0 cm in 1963 for the day. A snow depth of 2 cm was recorded in the morning observation, breaking the old record of trace cm for the day. The snow melted in the afternon as temperatures rose above freezing. This was the latest spring snowfall in Winnipeg since 2002 when a trace cm fell on May 23 and the latest snowfall accumulation since 1969 when 0.3 cm fell on June 12. Prior to this year, snow had fallen on May 18 only 4 times since 1872. Heavier snow fell west of the city with a swath of 10-15 cm from Boissevain to McGregor to Teulon to the Gimli area.

A full summary of the storm was posted on A Weather Moment.

#3 - Warm and Moist Fall

It was a very warm fall across southern Manitoba (likely is partly thanks to a strong el nino). All three months finished in the top 30 warmest on record since 1872 in Winnipeg: September was 6th warmest, October tied 30th warmest and November tied 16th warmest. As a whole, it was the 4th warmest fall on record since 1872 with an average mean temperature of 7.3°C, tied with 1953 and 2009. Brandon also had a 4th warmest fall on record (since 1890), averaging 6.2°C.

Top 10 warmest falls (Sep-Oct-Nov) in Winnipeg since 1872 (by average mean temperature):
1.  8.6°C (1963)
2.  7.9°C (1931)
3.  7.5°C (1923)
4.  7.3°C (1953, 2009, 2015)
7.  7.2°C (1948)
8.  7.1°C (1914, 1920)
10. 7.0°C (1922)

The warmth in September was already discussed previously in the top 10 series and will not be rediscussed here.

In October, the most significant warmth was during the Thanksgiving weekend. Temperatures reached the low to high 20's on Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th. Although Winnipeg didn't break any records, many parts of southern Manitoba did. The warmest temperatures were seen along the US border where records highs near 28°C occurred in Pilot Mound, Morden and Sprague.Winnipeg reached a maximum of 24.6°C on the 11th. Even some weak thunderstorm activity occurred in the evening on the 11th, ahead of a strong low pressure system which produced damaging winds the following day. October as a whole saw 22 days above 10°C, above the normal of 17 days.

In November, warm conditions continued. An incredible 25-consecutive day streak of above normal temperatures occurred from October 26 to November 19. During this time, 10-consecutive days from October 27 to November 5 never dropped below freezing. Warmth and high humidity returned mid November before winter-like conditions arrived. Temperatures exceeded 10°C from the 14th to 16th. A high of 13.1°C on the 15th was just a couple degrees shy of the old record of 15.6°C in in 1939. Unusually high humidity also occurred with dewpoints reaching 9.4°C on the 16th and 9.3°C on the 17th, both daily record highs. These were also the latest occurrences of dewpoint over 9°C on record since 1953. Thanks to the high humidity, a record high minimum temperature of 5.3°C was achieved on November 16, the warmest daily minimum for so late in the year.

In the end, dewpoint temperatures averaged 3.2°C in fall 2015 (September to November). This made it the second most humid fall on record since 1953. September dewpoint temperatures averaged 9.8°C, the third highest on record. November dewpoint temperatures averaged -2.9°C, the highest on record, beating the old record of -3.0°C in 1981.

Thanks to warm conditions, the first accumulative snowfall did not occur until November 18 in Charleswood, Winnipeg's official station for snowfall reports. This was the 4th latest first snowfall accumulation of the season since 1872. It was also a month later than the 1981-2010 normal of October 18. In addition, no snowfall was recorded in October, only the 16th time this has occurred since 1872.

#2 - August 22-23 Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rains

Significant thunderstorms and heavy rain pummelled Winnipeg and the surrounding area on August 22 and 23. Due to extreme nature of the event and the large area affected, the event is considered number two in the top 10 series.

The event began overnight on August 22 when severe thunderstorms developed north of a warm front. The bulk of the storms remained north of Winnipeg and so the city was spared the worst. The city did get a spectacular lightning show however. Cottage-country north of Winnipeg and a few towns northwest of the city took the brunt of the storms. Very large hail fell from Westbourne to Teulon to Matlock to Beaconia to Silver Falls. The largest hail stone reported was 10 cm in diameter, located near Silver Falls. Significant and widespread damage occurred as a result. Locally 40-50 or more mm of rain also fell within an hour, causing overland flooding. The following table gives a chronology of storm reports from the event.

Table: Chronology of storm reports from the overnight thunderstorms of August 22

Approx time	Location	Event
2:00 am	Westbourne	Nickel to golf ball size hail.
4:15 am	Teulon	Quarter size hail with significant accumulation. Tree, garden and vehicle damage occurred. 43 mm of rain in 1 hour caused overland flooding. Mounds of hail still remained on the ground hours after the storm.
4:45 am	Matlock	5 cm diameter hail.
5:15 am	Grand Marais	Golf ball size hail.
5:30 am	Beaconia	Baseball size hail punched holes in roofs and totalled almost every vehicle left outside during the storm. 50+ mm of rain also fell within an hour.
5:45 am – 6:00 am	Pine Falls, Powerview and Silver Falls area	Nickel to softball size hail. One photo showed a 10 cm diameter hailstone.

Heavy thunderstorms developed again midday in the Red River Valley. Winnipeg was particularly hard hit by these. 50 mm fell in less than 1 hour in parts of the south end. Nickel to toonie size hail, wind gusts to 80 km/h and frequent lightning also occurred, making for quite a storm to remember. Numerous streets and underpasses flooded and some were impassable. Water seeped into and flooded parts of St Vital Mall. Lightning caused a few fires and wind snapped branches.

The afternoon thunderstorms also dumped some large hail in other areas. Nickel to quarter size hail fell in Oakbank, Winkler and Jessica Lake. Training thunderstorms continued to pummel southeastern Manitoba late afternoon and evening, dumping significant rainfall. Rain from these also spread into the Winnipeg area and Red River Valley. Wrap-around rain around the low pressure system continued to drench south and southeastern Manitoba in the overnight and morning on August 23. Two-day rainfall totals were significant. Widespread totals of 50 to 110 mm occurred throughout the Red River Valley, southeastern Manitoba and the Interlake. In Winnipeg, close to 75 mm fell in southern sections of the city. At Winnipeg airport, about 46 mm fell. 38.4 mm of this fell on August 22 alone, breaking the old record of 38.1 mm in 1959 for the day.