Friday, March 1, 2024

February 2024 Summary

The second warmest February on record

With temperatures that ranged from average to well above average, it is not surprising that the overall temperature was close to 5 degrees above average.  This made it the second warmest February in the history of weather records in the region (which go back to 1914) and just a bit less than the record warmest in 2017.

Looking at the meteorological winter (December-January-February), the average temperature was -1.8°C.  This was the third warmest winter only behind 2001-02 and 1931-32.

Even some wet days in the final few days of the month could only bring the total precipitation to about a third of the average (21.6 mm total compared to the average of 63.5 mm).  This was the driest February since 1987.

With the warm temperatures and lack of overall precipitation, it follows that the total snowfall of only 13 cm was well below the average of 30.3 cm for February.  Overall, we have had 59.5 cm during this snowfall season, less than half the average of 125.6 cm for this point in the season.  As well, the gloominess index of 5.9 (on a scale of 10) was just a bit less than the average of 5.7 and much less than the value of 8.3 from last month.

It is also that time of year for the annual Weather Station Contest where you have to guess when the first time the station’s temperature will go above 20°C.  You can get details about the contest and put in your guess here:  https://weather.uwaterloo.ca/2024_contest/contest_entry_period_2024.asp 

Summary for February 2024:

Maximum Temperature 14.1°C
Minimum Temperature -13.0°C
Average Daily High Temperature 3.8°C (Long term average -1.3°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature -6.3°C (Long term average -10.8°C)
Total Precipitation 21.6 mm (Long term average 63.5 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2022 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)








Thursday, February 1, 2024

January 2024 Summary

A gloomy and warm January with average precipitation

Apart from the usual information, this summary also sees the introduction of first version of the Soulis Memorial Weather Station gloominess index!  Each day is given a number from 1 to 10 depending on the maximum amount of sun for that day, the gloomier the day the higher the number.  Then the average for the month is then calculated.  

For January the average was 8.3 (out of 10), this compares to the 1999-2023 average of 7.1 (it has ranged between 6.5 in 2013 to 8.5 last year).  This was the second highest gloominess index in the history of the station, so it wasn’t just your imagination, there wasn’t a lot of sun last month.

Even though we had that one cold week in the middle of the month, it didn’t make up for the warmer than average temperatures the rest of the month, particularly near the end.  In fact, the low temperatures in the last week never went below the average high temperatures for those days.  With all that it is not surprising that the overall temperature was almost 3 degrees higher than average.

The total precipitation of 72.4 mm was just a little above the average of 70.9 mm.  But even with the warm temperatures, we still got 36.5 cm of snow in January, not that far off of the average of 43.7 cm.  Overall for the snowfall season we have had 46.5 cm, less than half the average of 95.3 cm for this point in the season.

Summary for January 2024:

Maximum Temperature 7.3°C
Minimum Temperature -19.5°C
Average Daily High Temperature -1.0°C (Long term average -2.4°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature -6.2°C (Long term average -10.6°C)
Total Precipitation 72.4 mm (Long term average 70.9 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2022 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)







Sunday, January 7, 2024

2023 Annual Summary

 E.D. Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo Annual Summary - 2023

The big story of 2023 was the heat throughout the year with only one month of below average temperatures.  Although globally 2023 was the warmest year on record, in the region it was the fourth warmest year in the history of weather records in the region which go back over 100 years.  The top four warmest years locally are: 2012 with an average temperature of 9.32°C, 1998 at 8.98°C, 2021 at 8.89°C, and now 2023 coming in at 8.86°C.

The year started off very warm with the January coming in as the fourth warmest and February the sixth warmest.  March was then close to average, before another warm month in April.  That month the temperature reached 26.0°C or more for 5 straight days, this was the first streak that long during April.  Also, with a temperature of 28.1°C on April 13, it was the earliest in the year that the temperature has gone above 28°C (previously it was April 22).  With all that it isn’t surprising that it was the third warmest April in the region.

The last below zero temperature occurred on May 18th, this was 12 days later than the average in the last 25 years and the second latest during that time.  The month of May started a three month streak of temperatures that were close to average.

August had an overall temperature that was 1.3 degrees below average, this was the only month that was below average during the year and the coolest August since 2008.  Then in September we saw the first warmer than average month since April the warmest September in the last 5 years. There were 3 days above 30°C where we usually only see one of those every couple of years in September.  Finally, the 32.0°C that occurred on the fifth was the warmest temperature for the entire year.

There was a very hot streak the first week of October with 3 days close to 30°C, that contributed to the overall temperature being a little over a degree and half above average, that made it the fourth warmest October in the region.  A little after midnight on the 23rd, the temperature went below zero for the first time since May 18th, which is about 10 days later than the average.  With the frost-free period from May 18 to Oct 23, the frost-free season lasted 158 days, which is very close to the average of 160 days.

November dipped a bit below average followed by the second warmest December on record at 4 degrees above average.  The low temperature for the month of -6.9°C on the 13th, this was the highest for December in the history of records in the region.

Looking at precipitation, the year started out very wet between January and April, this included February which was the most above average of any month since October 2021.  There was one particularly wet day on the ninth when there was 35.6 cm of precipitation (the fourth wettest single day in February).  While March was the second wettest in the last 10 years.

May then broke the trend with only about half the average for the month ending with 11 days of no precipitation.  Things turned around again in July which was the wettest since 2014 and in the top 10 in the history of weather records in the region.  

September was very dry, the 18.0 mm of precipitation made it the 4th driest on record and the direst since 1969.  The rest of the fall was close to average, resulting in a total for the year of 958.8 mm, above the average of 869.6 mm, but still within the average range.

The total snowfall for the 2022-23 season was a total of 119.5 cm, which was well below the average of 159.7 cm.  The first few months of the next snowfall season has started slowly with only 10 cm total in November and December compared to the average of 26 cm by the end of the year.

Frank Seglenieks
weather@uwaterloo.ca
E.D. Soulis Memorial Weather Station Coordinator
 

Summary for 2023 (averages from 1998-2022 data for Soulis Memorial Weather Station):
Average Daily High Temperature: 13.81°C (average 12.62ºC)
Average Daily Low Temperature: 3.92°C  (average 2.59ºC)
Total Precipitation: 958.8 mm (average 869.6 mm) 

Extremes for 2023 (all time Soulis Memorial Weather Station extreme in brackets):
Highest temperature:
32.0°C Sep 5 3:15 pm (35.7 °C July 21, 2011 3:00 pm)
Highest humidex:
41.4 Sep 5 3:15 pm (47.6 July 17, 2013 5:00 pm)
Lowest temperature:
-19.7°C Feb 3 7:45 am (-35.5 °C Feb 16, 2015 7:00 am)
Lowest windchill:
-35.4 Feb 3 11:00 am (-47.3 Feb 15, 2015 6:15 am)
Greatest temperature drop in 15 minutes:
-6.7°C Jul 6 12:30 am (-9.5 °C July 19, 2013 5:00 pm)
Greatest temperature drop in 60 minutes:
-10.7°C Jul 6 12:30 - 1:30 pm (-11.8 °C July 19, 2013 4:45-5:45 pm)
Greatest temperature rise in 15 minutes:
3.6°C Jun 2 7:45 am (8.6 °C Jan 2, 2001 6:15 am)
Greatest temperature rise in 60 minutes:
7.7°C Apr 15 8:15 - 9:15 am (12.2 °C Jan 2, 2001 4:45-5:45 am)
Highest precipitation in 15 minutes:
12.6 mm Jul 20 5:30-5:45 pm (24.8 mm Jul 10, 2020 6:45-7:00 pm)
Highest precipitation in 60 minutes:
19.0 mm Jul 29 5:30-6:30 pm (57.4 mm Aug 2, 2014 2:30-3:30 pm)
Highest Precipitation in 1 day:
35.6 mm Feb 9 (88.0 mm Sep 22, 2021) 
Highest 15 minute average wind speed:
28.4 km/h Mar 25 6:00 pm (44.6 km/h Mar 9, 2002 6:30 pm)
Highest wind gust (only available since 2015):
42.1 km/h Mar 25 6:00 pm (44.4 km/h Apr 13, 2015 2:30 pm)
Last time the temperature went below 0 before the summer:
May 18 6:30 am (Has ranged between Apr 26- May 23)
First time the temperature went below 0 after the summer:
Oct 23 12:15 am (Has ranged between Sep 19 - Oct 29)
Length of frost-free season
158 Days (Has ranged between 129-175 days)
Highest daily low temperature:
20.3°C Sep 6 (25.3 °C Aug 1, 2006)
Lowest daily high temperature:
-11.1°C Feb 3 (-20.6 °C Feb 15, 2015)
Largest daily temperature range:
21.6°C May 30 (29.6 °C Feb 19, 2007)
Smallest daily temperature range:
0.80°C Jul 26 (0.45 °C Dec 7, 2005)


Click on the image below to see the temperature chart:




Click on the image below to see the precipitation chart:









Monday, January 1, 2024

December 2023 Summary

The second warmest December on record with average precipitation


After a relatively average first week, it was very warm for the rest of the month.  Overall, it was just over 4 degrees above average, which made it the second warmest December on record behind only 2015 when it was 5.5 degrees above average.

No individual day was all that hot, but it was really the lack of cold temperatures that brought the average up.  In fact, the low temperature for the month of -6.9°C on the 13th was the highest for December in the history of records in the region.

The precipitation for December was pretty consistent throughout the month with a final total of 78.6 mm, this is more than the average of 61.0 mm, but just within the average range.

With the warm weather, it is not surprising that there was only 4.0 cm of snowfall in December, much less than the average of 13 cm and also the least amount for the month in the daily snowfall records that go back to 2001.

Summary for December 2023:
Maximum Temperature 11.6°C
Minimum Temperature -6.9°C
Average Daily High Temperature 4.0°C (Long term average 0.7°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature -0.6°C (Long term average -5.9°C)
Total Precipitation 78.6 mm (Long term average 61.0 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2022 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)





Sunday, December 3, 2023

November 2023 Summary

An average November for both temperature and precipitation

With just a few warm days in the middle of the month surrounded by days that were generally at or just below average, this resulted in an overall temperature that was 0.7 degrees below average.  However this just squeaks it into the average temperature range for the month.

Precipitation was pretty steady throughout the month, with no really wet single days and a 10 day dry period.  The final total of 56.2 mm was close to the average for November of 64.5 mm. The total snowfall of 6.0 cm was about half the average of 13 cm.

With this average month, the total precipitation for the year of 880.2 mm is still above the average of 832.9 mm.  

Look for a new innovation in reporting how severe and how “dreary” the month and season has been starting in the new year.

Summary for November 2023:
Maximum Temperature 15.4°C
Minimum Temperature -8.1°C
Average Daily High Temperature 7.0°C (Long term average 7.2°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature -2.0°C (Long term average -0.8°C)
Total Precipitation 56.2 mm (Long term average 64.5 mm)


(Long term averages based on 1998-2022 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)