Top 10

Top 10 Weather Events Archive

At the end of every year, I produce a series of articles highlighting the top ten weather events of the year in the Winnipeg area. I decide the order of the events, number 1 being the top event of the year and number 10 being the lowest on the list. I take into account the following criteria to determine the order of the events: how extreme the event was compared to normal, the amount of lives impacted and how memorable an event was in general (how much it stood out in the year overall). In anticipation of the release of the articles, on the second week of December every year I create a poll to get all of your opinions on what the top event was during the year. 

This particular page is where you can find all the articles and read them again if you wish, or for you to look back at the extreme events of the past. Because my blog was created in December 2011, I only have the actual articles going back to 2011. Prior to that, I only have a list without the actual articles (in the future I may attach the actual articles). Also of note, I include a list of 5 honourable mentions as well; events that I had considered for the top 10 but did not quite make it.

 

Here are the top ten weather events, year by year, since 2009:

2023

1. Year of Hailstorms
2. Warmest May-June on Record
3. Strong El Nino Brings Dry and 3rd Warmest December
4. Wet and Humid October with Heavy Thunderstorms and a White Halloween
5. Warm and Smoky Year with Long Growing Season
6. March Without Thaw Highlights Cold Start to Spring
7. 4th Hottest September Day Highlights 5th Warmest September
8. 11 Consecutive Drier than Normal Months
9. Coldest July Since 2009 a Result of Chilly Nights
10. August 1 Morning Thunderstorm with Magnificent Shelf Cloud

Honourable mentions:

• Pleasant January: 25th warmest, tied 2nd calmest
• Blowing snow closes Perimeter March 14 and 17. 
• April 4-5 Colorado Low with 13-16 cm, except 25 cm in SE Mb
• 6th consecutive colder than normal April
• August 16 wind gusts of 70-80 km/h knock down some trees

2022

1. Wettest and Rainiest Year on Record Since 1872
2. The Colorado Low Train of April - 2nd Wettest April
3. The Colorado Low Train of May and the Spring Flood
4. Long and Harsh Winter with Deep Snow and Blowing Snow
5. Wettest Summer Since the 2000s with Multiple Deluges
6. June 24 Thunderstorm Dumps 50 mm of Rain in 30 Minutes at the Airport
7. Humid Summer with the Highest Dewpoint on Record Since 1953
8. October 23-24 Colorado Low Provides Late Thunderstorms
9. Father's Day Heat Wave Shuts Down Manitoba Marathon
10. Dec 5-7 Cold Snap; Earliest -30°C Since 1985

Honourable mentions:

• Mild Second Half of October and Start to November - impressive 18.4°C on Nov 2.
• November 10-11 Colorado Low Brings Early Start to Winter with 15 cm of Snow
• Mild weather Dec 9 to 15 - Temperature didn't drop below -3°C for six consecutive days
• Colorado Low Snowstorm Dec 14-16.

2021

1. Exceptional Drought and 4th Worst Fire Year in Manitoba Since 1914
2. A Very Warm Year
3. Relntless Summer Heat and the Heat Dome - Deadliest Weather Event in Canadian History
4. 2nd Warmest January on Record Since 1873
5. Warmest March Since 2012 Ends one of the Shortest Winters Ever Recorded
6. Warm Fall Provides an Extended Growing Season
7. Prolonged February Cold Snap Chills the Continent
8. Wet August Provides Intermission to Heat and Drought
9. November Snowstorm
10. April Snowstorm

Honourable mentions:

• 3rd largest 24-hr temperature drop since 1953 on March 29-30
• Nocturnal thunderstorms dump 40+ mm of rain over northern half of city on May 22
• Significant freezing rain/drizzle events Nov 26, Dec 15 and Dec 24
• Dec 27 snowstorm dumps 20 cm, followed by cold snap

 2020

1. Another Dry Year (Driest or 9th Driest?)
2. Summer of  Floods and Tornadoes in Manitoba; Winnipeg Dodges Almost Everything
3. Mild and Rainy First Half of December with Bare Fields
4. Warm Winter, and Year, with Few Days Below -20°C
5. Yet Another Cold October
6. Delayed Spring Greenup Thanks to Unseasonable Cold in the First Half of May
7. Hot and Humid Summer
8. Record Late-Season Warmth and Humidity Highlights Warm Start to November
9. Snowiest April in 17 Years
10. September 6 Damaging Wind Event

Honourable mentions:

• Harvesting in January (due to wet and snowy fall last year)
• February 11 cold front (rapid temperature drop, blowing snow, strong winds)
• Cold start to September with earliest frost since 2006 and shortest growing season since 2004
• November 24 freezing drizzle event (1-2 mm accumulation)

2019

1. Unprecedented October Snowstorm and Fall Flooding
2. Rainiest September on Record
3. Driest First Half of the Year on Record
4. Extreme Cold and Snowy Weather in Late January and February
5. Record Heat and Humidity in Mid September
6. July 8-10 Deluge Soaked Up Like a Sponge Thanks to Extreme Drought
7. Cold October and Early November
8. June 7 Thunderstorms Break the Heat but Produce Damaging Winds
9. Dry December in the Northern Red River Valley
10. Cold Late Spring with Early June Frost

Honourable mentions:

• 7th warmest first half of January
• Heavy rains and thunderstorms in the last week of August
• Freezing rain December 7 closes the Trans Canada Highway west of Winnipeg
• Coldest year since 2014

2018

1. 2018 Continues the 2017 Dry Spell
2. A Very Cold Fall with Snow in September
3. 4th Warmest May-June Period Since 1872
4. Mid-August Heat Wave Reminiscent of Dirty Thirties
5. More Than a Month's Worth of Rain Highlights Wet September
6. Second Coldest First Half of April Since 1872
7. An Abundance of 30°C Days and a Lack of -30°C Days in 2018
8. March 4-5 Colorado Low Brings Beneficial Snowfall and Widespread Thundersnow
9. June 14 Thunderstorms Result in Second Longest CFL Game in History
10. Three Severe Thunderstorm Rain Events in 2018

Honourable mentions:

• Jan 15 highest pressure since 1989 (105.0 kPa sea-level pressure)
• Warmest early morning in January on record (Jan 19)
• Cold February
• July 7 humidity and heat (25.0°C dewpoint, 44.8 humidex)
• Aug 3 thunderstorms dodge Winnipeg for the most part, but produce strongest tornado on Earth in 2018 near Alonsa (and, unfortunately, one fatality).
•  Remarkable temperature swing Oct 14-18, from record low max (1.4°C) to record high (23.6°C).

2017

1. March Super-Storm
2. Third Driest Year Since 1873
3. Incredible Winter Thaws and Rainfalls
4. January 12 Classic Prairie Blizzard
5. An ''Early, Not So Early'', Start to Winter
6. Cold Snap in Late December
7. Another Year of Heat Records in September
8. Summer-Like Temperature and Thunderstorms in Mid-October
9. Overall Pleasant Summer, But with Chilly Periods
10. Warm First Half of June with Heat Records on June 2

Honourable mentions:

• Southern Manitoba Spring Flood
• Warm First Half of April
• July 22 Heavy Thunderstorm Dumps 40-60 mm of Rain in an Hour in North Winnipeg
• Rainy Second Half of September and Southern Manitoba Severe Thunderstorms Sep 19
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2016

1. Warmest November on Record
2. High-Impact Thunderstorm Season
3. Two Colorado Lows Push December to Second Snowiest
4. Second Warmest Fall on Record
5. Fifth Warmest Year Since 1873
6. Strong El Nino Brings Ninth Warmest Winter
7. Early Spring Brings Record Warmth, an Early Melt and Record Rainfall
8. Earliest 35°C on Record Highlights Warmest May in 25 Years
9. July 20 Second Highest Dewpoint Reading HighlightsThird Most Humid Summer
10. Rainiest Halloween on Record Fitting End to Rainy October

Honourable mentions:

• April 14-17 Rainstorm (a month's worth of rain in 3 days)
• Cold Start to April (high of -6.2°C on April 2 a highlight)
• February 7 Red River Valley Blizzard
• Mild Start to December With Record High Minimum Dewpoint Temperatures

2015

1. Remarkable Warmth in December Finished 9th Warmest Year
2. August 22-23 severe thunderstorms and heavy rains
3. Warm and moist fall
4. May Long Weekend storm system
5. A very early spring
6. An active Manitoba thunderstorm season despite a late start
7. Sizzling in September
8. A very humid summer
9. Mild January and a winter with little snow
10. Warm and ''dusty'' April

Honourable mentions:

• Frigid February
• July 4 severe thunderstorms
• Second latest first 30°C of the year at Winnipeg airport 
• August 7 hailstorm in south Winnipeg and subsequent tornado near Anola
• Damaging winds on October 12
• Snowy mid December leads to deepest Christmas snow cover in 15 years

 

2014

1. Harsh winter
2. Historical streak of cold months & coldest year since 1996
3. January 15 ''super-clipper''
4. Super-soaking June storms 
5. Drenching August rains
6. Summer's revisit in late September 
7. Mild and lack of snow in December
8. January in November
9. Mid-fall warmth & very dry conditions
10. July in May: record heat & numerous thunderstorms in late May 

Honourable mentions:

• Winter chill hangs on in April and early-mid May
• July 5 heat, humidity and funnel clouds southwest of Winnipeg
• 14th driest July & lack of storms in July across all of southern Manitoba
• July 26 landspout ''outbreak''
• Active start to September with multiple thunderstorm events

2013

1. The winter that overstayed its arrival; what a difference a year makes!
2. Bone-chilling December fitting end to a ''cold'' year
3. The ''Perimeter Shields'' in full action
4. Summer heat; better late than never!
5. January in November
6. A week of drenching thunderstorms
7. The 4 major snowstorms and blizzards of early 2013
8. Twin May rainstorms
9. Mid-summer blues
10. A return to reality; a colder and very snowy winter

Honourable mentions:

• Large temperature swings May 12-13 and Dec 15-16
• July 21 lightning storms; some homes struck in Winnipeg
• July 24 funnel cloud/tornado south of Winnipeg
• August 18 thunderstorm
• Cold & snowsqualls off the lakes mid/late October

 

2012

1. March madness
2. The winter that never was
3. 2012, a tale of warmth
4. Early winter wallop Oct 4-5
5. A week of severe storms
6. Drought intensifies as summer ends
7. An out of bounds Spring
8. Another summer of searing heat and parched lawns
9. May's wild thunderstorms
10. Cold September nights

Honourable mentions:

• 4 days of spectacular hoar frost to start February
• June 9 severe thunderstorms; tennis ball sized hail in Winnipeg
• Hot end to September coincides with the leaf colour change to create a spectacular weekend
• Major snow storm November 10-11
• 'Rainy' start to December makes it the 9th rainiest Dec on record 

 

2011 

1. Our seemingly endless summer
2. Summer in October
3. October rumbles
4. Wacky December
5. July heat wave
6. September heat wave
7. Spring snowstorm
8. Torrid Tuesday
9. November extremes
10. July 4 supercell outbreak

 Honourable mentions:

• Snowy January and January 28 snowstorm
• March 11 blizzard
• June 29 and 30 heat and humidity
• August 18 severe thunderstorms
• Late-season tornado (Sept 18)

2010

1. Biblical rains (May 28/29)
2. 2010; a year of warmth and precipitation
3. Historical weather bomb
4. Hot 'n dry April
5. A taste of the Maritimes (fog), followed by an early Spring
6. Blinding blizzard (Jan 25)
7. Winter starts off with a bang
8. Abnormal January weather
9. Shorts and t-shirts in October
10. July 13/14, a repeat performance of late May

 Honourable mentions:

• Thunderstorms swamp Winnipeg once again on August 13
• Severe thunderstorms July 26/27
• Fine start to November

2009

1. The Red Sea
2. 9 consecutive months of below normal temperatures
3. The worst ice storm in decades
4. Punishing hailers (Aug 12/13/14)
5. Punishing winds on January 31
6. Fabulous September
7. Warm and dry November
8. Unwelcomed spring storms
9. Thunderstorm outbreak (Jul 9)
10. October dissapoints

 Honourable mentions:

• Unseasonably strong system in June
• September super cells (Sept 10)