This Day in Weather History - August 29

 August 29, 1910 Thunderstorms Cause Mostly Lightning Damage

Widespread thunderstorms affected southern Manitoba on August 29, 1910. In Winnipeg, two waves of thunderstorms hit. The first storm hit at about noon and brought heavy rain. The sky was apparently so dark that it was necessary to turn on the lights indoors. About 18 mm fell with this storm. The second storm struck about 8 pm and lasted about two hours. It brought strong winds, heavy thunder and vivid lightning. Not much damage was reported however. The bulk of the damage caused by the storms was by lightning. A hay stack north of the city in Rosser took fire by a lightning strike, and was plainly visible from the city. 36.1 mm of rain fell from the two storms at St John's College according to the Tribune. 

Winnipeg Tribune Aug 29, 1910, page 9

Other parts of southern Manitoba weren't so lucky as Winnipeg. The Winnipeg Beach area was hard hit. Hundreds of trees were knocked down and a ''good-sized'' boat was lifted into the air by the wind. The wind was apparently even enough to push water away from the shore, exposing more beach than usual. The storm scared away many campers the following two days. Businesses were not too pleased with their departure. 

Other storm reports:

Birtle - The heaviest rain of the season. The storm tore off the metal roof of a terrace. North and west of town, grain fields were flattened. To the east, it was just a shower. 

Russell - A severe storm of wind, rain and hail in some localities in this district. Some damage to uncut grain. Telephone lines were damaged as well. 

Souris - Worst storm of the season in the morning, with heavy rain. A residence was damaged considerably by lightning. The rain was very heavy in town and north, but lighter in the south. 

Elgin (south of Souris) - Severe electrical storm south of town about 8:30 am. A new barn was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. A man received a severe shock from the lightning strike. 

Macgregor - A barn was struck by lightning and damaged considerably. Two horses were killed. Telegraph wires were damaged by the storm. 

Baldur - A horse was killed by lightning. 

Portage la Prairie - Three barns at Island Park were struck by lightning about 1 pm and burned to the ground. Heavy rain accompanied by the storm has delayed harvesting for the time being. 

Kenora - Much needed rain throughout this entire district at night with intervals of lightning. 

Some rainfall amounts:

Birtle 47.0 mm (Winnipeg Tribune)

Winnipeg St John's College 36.1 mm

Portage la Prairie 32.5 mm

Stony Mountain 25.4 mm

Emerson 25.4 mm (Winnipeg Tribune)

Treherne 24.9 mm

West Selkirk 23.9 mm (Winnipeg Tribune)

Morden 23.4 mm

Pipestone 15.2 mm

Virden 12.7 mm

Winnipeg Tribune Aug 30, 1910, page 1

This post contains information from the Winnipeg Tribune, Winnipeg Free Press, Baldur Gazette, Birtle Eye Witness, Russell Banner and ECCC. 

This Day in Weather History - August 28

 August 28, 1991 Record Heat and Strong Winds

A low pressure system moving into southwestern Manitoba brought a stiff southerly wind and hot temperatures to southern Manitoba on August 28, 1991. It was part of a three-day heat wave from the 27th to 29th. Temperatures were hottest on the 28th, reaching record values above 37°C. Winnipeg reached a record 37.1°C. Portage la Prairie was the hotspot at 37.8°C. 

Strong southerly winds throughout the day brought wind gusts over 90 km/h. Winnipeg Airport gusted up to 95 km/h at 2:16 pm. At least the wind helped provide some relief for those out in the heat. I have not been able to find much information about the day, so cannot confirm whether there was any damage from the wind. One disadvantage of the hot and dry wind was its effect on wild fires in eastern Manitoba. August had been a very dry month. In fact, it was the 3rd driest on record in Winnipeg with a measly 6 mm of rain. The wind also reportedly caused some blowing dust. 

The strong winds helped keep temperatures very warm at night. Winnipeg Airport had a daily low of 24.0°C, the second warmest on record in August and tied 6th warmest of all time since 1872. 

Weather forecast map for noon on August 28, 1991, by the WinnipegFree Press page 32

From the Winnipeg Free Press August 29, 1991, page 1

This post contains information from the Winnipeg Free Press and ECCC. 

This Day in Weather History - August 27

 August 27, 1884, Vicious Thunderstorms Leave Swath of Damage Across Southern Manitoba

Severe thunderstorms developed in southern Manitoba in the afternoon of August 27, 1884, then plowed eastward in the late afternoon and evening, leaving widespread damage all the way to northwestern Ontario. Damaging winds were the main issue but there were reports of hail and torrential downpours as well. The strongest storms began around Brandon by about 4pm (although, it appears more storms also developed in other areas late afternoon), then raced eastward, reaching Winnipeg by around 6:30 pm and Vermillion Bay east of Kenora Ontario by about 10:40 pm. In Winnipeg, the storm lasted about two hours, but the strongest winds did not arrive until just before 8pm, possibly suggesting that there were some storms ahead of the main line of severe storms. It continued to rain until shortly before midnight, after which a heavy wind came from the south. 

Based on reports, the greatest damage occurred from Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg with several buildings damaged or destroyed. Just west of Winnipeg, around Headingley, almost every single building was damaged, some lifted off their foundations. Some roofs were blown off buildings. Telegraph wires were also damaged, cutting off communications until the following morning. Electric light wires were badly damaged, leaving parts of the city of Winnipeg in darkness. Surprisingly and luckily, little in the way of permanent damage was done to crops. 

Some hail damage occurred in some areas. In Gladstone, some windows were smashed by hail. 

The event was very well documented in newspapers and was reported to be the worst in years. There are too many reports to list here, so I have created a map where you can click on points and see the details. It also helps to visualize where the event occurred. The map can be viewed by following this link. 

From the Winnipeg Daily Sun, Aug 28, 1884, page 1

This post contains information from the Winnipeg Daily Sun, Winnipeg Free Press, the Gladstone Age and the Monthly Weather Review. 

This Day in Weather History - August 26

August 24 and 26, 1915 Early Frosts Damage Gardens

Unusually chilly weather moved through southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan August 24 to 26. Southwestern Manitoba and the Interlake recorded patchy frost on the 24th when Brandon CDA dropped to -1.7°C, Moosehorn to -1.1°C, Cypress River to -2.2°C, Stony Mountain to -0.6°C and Pierson to -2.8°C. Frost was more widespread on the 26th however, gripping even the Red River Valley. Winnipeg St John's College dipped to 0.0°C, a daily record low which still stands to this day in 2023. Parts of southwestern Manitoba dipped to a bone-chilling -4°C. It was so cold that some campers near Brandon reported ice on the water near their tents. Some farmers near Kemnay saw ice in the horse troughs. Near Portage la Prairie, over a quarter inch of frost accumulation was reported. 

Lows on August 26, 1915 from ECCC:

Moosehorn -4.4°C

Pierson -4.4°C

Boissevain -4.4°C (Winnipeg Tribune)

Brandon CDA -3.3°C

Minnedosa -3.3°C

Stony Mountain -3.3°C

Virden -2.8°C

Morden -2.8°C

Hamiota -1.7°C

Oakbank -1.7°C

Cypress River -1.1°C

Ninette -1.1°C

Emerson -1.1°C (Winnipeg Tribune)

Dauphin -0.6°C

Pinawa -0.6°C

Birtle -0.6°C

Portage la Prairie -0.6°C

Winnipeg St John's College 0.0°C

Treherne 0.0°C

Damage to crops was minimal by the frost since they were far advanced or harvested, especially for cereal crops. Gardens on the other hand, suffered damage. Corn and cucumbers froze. This was mostly the case outside of Winnipeg. Not much damage was reported in the city. 

From the Winnipeg Tribune Aug 27, 1915, page 1

From the Brandon Sun Aug 26, 1915, page 2

From the Winnipeg Tribune Aug 26, 1915, page 1

This Day in Weather History - August 25

 August 25, 1960 Colorado Low Heavy rain, Strong Winds and Cold

NOAA weather map showing the Colorado Low in southern Manitoba Aug 25, 1960 at 1pm

A Colorado or Wyoming Low brought heavy rains, strong winds and cold temperatures to southern Manitoba on August 25, 1960. The rain began early in the morning and fell steadily all day before ending overnight. The heaviest rain fell in portions of the Red River Valley and the Interlake with a general 30 to 50 mm. Higher amounts up to 68.8 mm were recorded along the western shores of Lake Winnipeg around Gimli. Lesser amounts of 5 to 15 mm in southwestern Manitoba. 41.1 mm fell at Winnipeg Airport, a daily rainfall record which still stands as of today in 2023. 

Rainfall amounts from ECCC:

Gimli Airport 68.8 mm

Petersfield 53.3 mm

Indian Bay 48.0 mm

Stonewall 46.0 mm

Winnipeg Charleswood 43.4 mm

Arborg 43.2 mm
Winnipeg Sherbrook St 42.3 mm
Winnipeg Airport 41.1 mm

Beausejour 39.4 mm

Steinbach 36.8 mm

Pine Falls 35.1 mm

Emerson 33.0 mm

Great Falls 26.4 mm

Morden 21.3 mm

Portage la Praire 17.8 mm

Brandon Airport 8.6 mm

Strong northerly winds and cold temperatures accompanied the rain, making it feel more like October than August. Wind gusts up to 84 km/h were recorded at Winnipeg Airport and 90 km/h at Gimli Airport. The wind took down some power and telephone lines, causing outages around Winnipeg and the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Power was out for about nine hours around Gimli and Winnipeg Beach. Several small boats were swept from their moorings on Winnipeg Beach as well by the wind and waves. Some branches were ripped down by the winds as well. 

From the Brandon Sun Aug 26, 1960 page 15

The daily high of 18°C at Winnipeg Airport was achieved at midnight on the 25th. Temperatures hovered around 13 or 14°C during the rainfall event from the morning to the evening. 

The province reported that the rain was helpful for beet crops. The rain also reduced the fire risk across southeastern Manitoba. About 17,287 people braved the elements to watch the Blue Bombers football game against the Edmonton Eskimos. 

From the Winnipeg Tribune, Aug 26, 1960, page 1

This post contains information from the Brandon Sun, Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Tribune, NOAA and ECCC. 

This Day in Weather History - August 24

 August 24, 1975 Afternoon Hail Storm in Winnipeg with Two-Inch Diameter Hail

Severe thunderstorms rolled into Winnipeg around 4 pm on August 24, 1975 after developing south of Brandon earlier in the afternoon. The storms dropped large hail, the size of golf balls, in parts of the city. Two-inch hailstones were reported in East Kildonan and quarter sized hail in Fort Garry. It was reported that the largest hailstones remained on the ground for as long as two hours after the storm. 

A number of windows were broken by the hail and gardens flattened. Cars suffered damage from the hail as well. Strong winds gusting up to 70 km/h damaged or knocked down some trees and power lines in the city. Although, Manitoba Hydro did not report much damage to their equipment in the storms. The winds were strong enough in Fort Garry to overturn a mobile home. Another two homes were also overturned or damaged in Hazelridge, MB just east of Winnipeg. Heavy downpours also flooded some streets and underpasses. Large hail with damage was also reported in the Beausejour, Baldur, Carman and Sanford areas. Crops were damaged by the hail. 

Some rain amounts from the storms included:

Stonewall 33.5 mm
Grosse Isle 31 mm
Stony Mountain 21 mm
Selkirk 15.5 mm

Winnipeg 6 to 14 mm

The storms were part of a low pressure system with an associated cold front, which brought much cooler weather the following day. 

From the Winnipeg Free Press Aug 25, 1975, page 1

From the Winnipeg Free Press Aug 25, 1975, page 3

This post contains information from the Winnipeg Free Press Aug 25, 1975, and the Winnipeg Tribune, Aug 25-26, 1975. Baldur Gazette Aug 27, 1975. 

This Day in Weather History - August 23

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

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

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

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

1 pm......10.6°C

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Day in Weather History - August 21

 August 21, 1931 Heat Wave Sends Temperatures to 100F

From the Winnipeg
Tribune Aug 22,
1931, page 1

A week-long heat wave brought temperatures to their peak on August 21, 1931. Winnipeg reached 37.8°C (100°F), tied hottest temperature of the 20th century so far (up to 1931), and the hottest since June 1900 when it reached 38.3°C. 

The heat was preceded by a night of vivid thunderstorms which began just before midnight. Lightning was reportedly spectacular, but the storms produced only a little rain. Localized downpours were, however, enough to provide relief to gardens. The nighttime temperature barely dropped, however, with a low of 20.0°C in Winnipeg. It was said that the storms made it feel more humid. 

From the Winnipeg
Tribune Aug 21, 
1931, page 1

This Day in Weather History - August 20

 August 20, 2004 Earliest Freeze on Record at Winnipeg Airport

Summer 2004 was one to forget for Manitobans. It was cold and wet by Manitoba standards, and the cold summer was capped off in mid August with some of the earliest frosts ever recorded. After a record low of 1.0°C at Winnipeg Airport on August 19th, another record low of 0.0°C occurred on August 20th. This was the earliest fall freeze in Winnipeg on record since 1872. It was one day earlier than the record early freeze of August 21, 1875 (low of 0.0°C).

From the Winnipeg Free Press Aug 21, 2004, page 3

Because of an unusually cold summer, crops and gardens were weeks behind schedule and growing very slowly. Frosts killed plants from time to time in parts of southern Manitoba, and this August 20th freeze was no exception. 

From the Winnipeg Free Press Aug 24, 2004, page 22

The cold frosty weather was bad news for cottage communities. Businesses suffered from decreased business and even golf courses were unusually quiet. On the bright side, the cold weather kept mosquitoes mostly at bay.

From the Lac du Bonnet Leader, Aug 23, page 2

Other lows across southern Manitoba on August 20, 2004 included: (courtesy of Environment Canada)

Broadview (Saskatchewan) -2.9°C

Souris -2.0°C

Sandy Lake -2.0°C

Wasagaming -2.0°C

Roblin -1.2°C

Strathclair -1.2°C

Brandon CDA -1.0°C

Carberry -1.0°C

St Pierre Jolys -1.0°C

Elkhorn -1.0°C

Emerson -0.8°C

Melita -0.5°C

Steinbach -0.5°C

Baldur -0.5°C

Brandon Airport -0.3°C

Pilot Mound -0.2°C

Binscarth -0.1°C

Piney 0.0°C

Newspapers mentioned there were some unofficial lows down to -3°C or -4°C in localized parts of southwestern Manitoba. Parts of southern Saskatchewan also had frost. 

From the Winnipeg Free Press Aug 20, 2004, page 3

This Day in Weather History - August 19

 August 19, 1883 Rain and Wind Storm

A storm system brought heavy rain, strong winds and cold weather to southern Manitoba on August 19, 1883. It was said by the Free Press to be the severest storm of the year, lasting about 24 hours. 

In Winnipeg, the event began with heavy thunder and lightning during the evening on August 18, and was followed by pouring rain until about 8pm the 19th. It was said that church services were poorly attended and streets nearly empty because of the storm (the 19th was a Sunday). Strong winds knocked out telegraph and telephone wires and caused minor damages to buildings. According to the Telephone Exchange, some 250 km of wires were knocked down. The tower on the Knox Church was also demolished by the wind as well as some chimneys across the city. Wind damage was also reported northwest of Winnipeg and in Kenora, Ontario. Luckily, crops did not suffer too much from the storm, some of them already harvested or nearing harvest. According to a report from the Stony Montain area, winds were between 60 and 90 km/h. 

From the Free Press Aug 21, 1883, page 8

Because of the all-day rains on the 19th, the temperature only reached a high of 17.2°C in Winnipeg. Rainfall amounts generally ranged from about 25 mm to 90 mm across southern Manitoba. Winnipeg received about 57 mm in total. 

Rainfall amounts courtesy of Environment Canada:

Birtle 92.2 mm (unclear if this report was from the same storm system)
Morris 90.5 mm
Emerson 75.7 mm
Cartwright 70.1 mm
Stony Mountain 59.5 mm
Winnipeg 56.9 mm
Turtle Mountain 37.8 mm
Minnedosa 24.1 mm
Pilot Mound 11.2 mm
Shoal Lake 6.1 mm

From the Free Press Aug 20, 1883, page 8

From the Free Press Aug 21, 1883, page 1

This Day in Weather History - August 18

 August 18, 1973 Vicious Thunderstorms Produce Damaging Winds

A line of severe thunderstorms associated with a strong cold front moved through southern and central Manitoba late afternoon and evening on August 18, 1973. Damaging straight-line winds was the main cause of damage with the storms, with gusts over 100 km/h in some areas. Winnipeg Airport gusted to 122 km/h, one of the strongest gusts ever recorded in the city. There was localized large hail in the Parklands region of western Manitoba which did damage to crops. 

The strong winds damaged buildings, uprooted trees and knocked out hundreds of telephone and power poles causing outages. Crews worked through the night to restore services. In Winnipeg, store signs were knocked down and windows broken. Some roofs of homes were blown off, including in St Vital and St James Assiniboia. Many hydro and telephone poles were knocked down as well, including 11 on the University of Manitoba grounds. In Transcona, a tent at the Transcona Hi Neighbor Festival was blown down, putting an end to festivities. In the Interlake, 140 telephone poles were blown down along highway 7. Areas around Stonewall, East Selkirk and Garson were also hard hit. 

From the Winnipeg Tribune Aug 20, 1973, page 1

Other reports of damage as follows:

Sandy Lake: Two barns blown down, several boat houses overturned, roof ripped off a cottage, many shingles blown off.

Northeast of Russell and south of Roblin: Large hail damaged crops. 

Cracknell district: Swath of eight miles was devastated. Windows broken, crops 100% hailed. (Russell Banner Aug 23, page 1). 

Rossburn: Struck around supper with fierce near-hurricane force winds. Trees uprooted and snapped, antennas twisted, garages and buildings damaged, roofing torn off a commercial building. Gardens also damaged. Some hail damage 10 or more miles north of town. (Rossburn Review Aug 23, page 1). 

Winnipeg Beach: Dome of the theatre was torn apart by the wind. 

Piney area: Extensive damage to wild rice crops. Wind flattened some barley and oat fields. 

From the Selkirk Enterprise Aug 22, 1973, page 1

Weather reports as follows from Environment Canada:

Winnipeg Airport gust 122 km/h and 22 mm of rain

The Pas Airport gust 119 km/h and 33 mm of rain
Portage Southport gust 97 km/h and 25 mm of rain

Gimli Airport gust 90 km/h and 21 mm of rain

Dauphin Airport gust 80 km/h amd 30 mm of rain

Wasagaming 39 mm of rain

Winnipeg St Norbert 28 mm of rain

Stonewall and Stony Mountain 22 and 23 mm of rain

There were also severe storms all the way up near The Pas where a gust of 119 km/h was recorded. A tornado struck Carrot River Valley in eastern Saskatchewan at 5:15 pm, destroying buildings and snapping trees. (See newspaper image below). 

From The Pas Herald Aug 23, 1973, page 1

Sources: This post contains info from the Brandon Sun (Aug 20 page 1), Winnipeg Free Press (Aug 20 pages 1 and 4), Winnipeg Tribune (Aug 20 pages 1, 5 and 21), Steinbach Carillon Aug 22 (page 18). 

This Day in Weather History - August 17

August 16-17, 1985 Cold Heavy Rainfall Event with 90-140 mm

An unseasonably strong long pressure system moved into the Red River Valley from the United States August 16-17, 1985. The rain moved in late in the day on the 16th, then continued most of the 17th. There were embedded thunderstorms which produced higher rainfall rates. The system brought strong winds along with very chilly temperatures, making it feel much more like fall than summer. The rains were much unwelcomed after an already extremely wet August. Parts of southern Manitoba received over 200 mm of rain during the month from start to finish, making it the wettest on record for many. Winnipeg Airport received 218.0 mm, the wettest August on record since 1872. 

This particular storm system on August 16-17 dumped 50 to 140 mm of rain in the Red River Valley, including in the Winnipeg area. 97.4 mm of rain fell at Winnipeg Airport within a 24-hour period, a new record for the month of August, beating 84.6 mm on August 16, 1884. Some streets flooded as a result of the heavy rain, as well as over 300 basements. Two homes were struck by lightning. The axis of highest amounts was across the western Red River Valley. 

Rainfall amounts August 16-17, 1985

Portage la Prairie City 140.5 mm
Carman 139.6 mm
St Claude 127.0 mm
Portage Southport 121.8 mm
Miami 121.7 mm
Deerwood 117.6 mm
Morden 116.4 mm
Starbuck 110.8 mm
Winnipeg Airport 97.4 mm
Selkirk 95.4 mm
Stonewall 92.8 mm
MacGregor 84.0 mm

Winds gusting over 80 km/h were accompanied by the system as well. Portage la Prairie gusted to 83 km/h, Brandon 80 km/h and Winnipeg 67 km/h. The wind and rain knocked over some power lines, causing outages. Temperatures hovered around 12 to 13°C throughout the day on the 17th, making for an unusually chilly August day. The maximum of 13.8°C was a record low maximum for the date at Winnipeg Airport. 

The cold, windy and rainy weather occurred on a weekend, resulting in various event cancellations. Businesses along the shores of the lakes suffered from lack of business, which had been a theme of the summer. 

From the Winnipeg Free Press, August 18, 1985, page 1

Sources: This post contains info from the Winnipeg Free Press August 18 and 19, 1985, as well as from Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

This Day in Weather History - August 16

 August 16, 1939 Two Heavy Thunderstorms Flood Winnipeg

Two rounds of heavy thunderstorms dumped copious amounts of rain over Winnipeg on August 16, 1939. The first round of storms hit about 3 am and lasted about three hours, dumping 35.3 mm of rain at the Airport. The second storm hit about 1:30 pm, and lasted another three hours, dumping 46.7 mm. This brought the daily rainfall amount to 82.0 mm, one of the wettest days on record. 

The heavy rain flooded basements, businesses and warehouses, slowed down traffic and disrupted communications. Underpasses were under water, causing transit and motorists to take detours. The General Hospital was also flooded. The greatest damage was to downtown warehouses and businesses which stored much material in their basements. Cave-ins occurred along some roads and sidewalks. Approximately 24 schools were flooded. It was reported that hundreds of sparrows died in the storm. While seeking refuge in trees, they felled to the pavement and died. 

The City of Winnipeg proper was hardest hit. Flooded basements were also reported in St Boniface, St James and West Kildonan.  Areas to the south toward the University of Manitoba were not as hard hit, and the rain was welcomed. 

From the Winnipeg Tribune August 17 1939 page 8

From the Winnipeg Tribune August 17 1939 page 1

** Sources: This post contains info from the Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Tribune, from their August 16 and 17, 1939 publications.

This Day in Weather History - August 9-10

 August 9-10, 2007 Ravaging Thunderstorms - Dauphin and Winnipeg hard hit

Severe thunderstorms, including supercells, developed over eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba in the afternoon and evening of August 9th, 2007. These storms moved southeastward throughout the night, pushing through Winnipeg by around 1 am on August 10th. The storms brought large hail and damaging winds across a long swath from Dauphin to Winnipeg. In Dauphin, hail up to baseball or even softball sized fell along with about 50 mm of rain and 98 km/h winds, causing extensive damage. It was one of the worst storms to ever hit the town. Almost every exposed vehicle and building suffered hail damage. Windows were smashed and roofs were destroyed. MPI received about 13,000 vehicle claims worth about 50 million dollars due to the storm. So many vehicles were damaged that there was a large boom in new car sales afterwards. 

Photos from Brandon Daily Sun August 11 2007 page 2

In Winnipeg, a wind gust of 100 km/h was recorded at the Airport. Nickel to toonie sized hail fell as well. Northern and eastern portions of the city bore the brunt of the storm. The storms across southern Manitoba caused millions of dollars in crop damage, knocked down thousands of trees and forced 7,000 customers without power. A horse near Anola was killed by powerful winds. Birds Hill Park was shut down due to the magnitude of tree damage. Sheds and fences were blown all over the place in nearby neighbourhoods. A couple golf courses were also closed due to downed trees. A City of Winnipeg forester said the storm was definitely in the top 10 worst for tree damage in the city, but not as bad as a 2005 storm. About 20-30 mm of rain fell with the storm in northern Winnipeg, while the south end received next to nothing. 

From the front page of the Winnipeg Free Press on August 11, 2007

Weather summary issued by Environment Canada

Links:

U of M page

CBC (from October 2007)

CBC (from August 2007)

CTV on television