May 2026 Summary

A dry and cold May 

It was cold for the first half of the month followed by a few hot days in the second half.  But these hot days couldn’t make up for the proceeding cold and the overall temperature was more than a degree below average.  This made it the coldest May since 2020.

The temperature last went below zero on May 12, which is about 5 days later than the average date in the history of the Soulis memorial weather station. 

The only really wet day in May was the 25.6 mm on the 23rd, apart from that there was only one more day of more than 10 mm.  Consequently, the total for the month was only 55.2 mm, which is much lower than the average of 73.1 mm.

After a few wet months, this dry month brought the total for the year at 421.4 mm, closer to the average of 340.2 mm.

Summary for May 2026:
Maximum Temperature 29.1°C
Minimum Temperature -1.5°C
Average Daily High Temperature 17.7°C (Long term average 19.2°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 6.5°C (Long term average 7.3°C)
Total Precipitation 55.2 mm (Long term average 73.1 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2025 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)

April 2026 Summary

 A warm April that was the wettest in 15 years

There were warm and cool waves during the month, but overall the warm temperatures won with an overall temperature a little more than one and a half degree above average.  The longest streak of warmer temperatures were in the middle of the month with almost a week close to 20°C.

Nearly 100 mm of precipitation fell during the first half of the month, the second half was drier, but the total still came in at 130.4 mm.  This made it the sixth wettest April in history of records in the region and the wettest since 2011.

So far in 2026, we have had three of the four wetter than average months.  As a result, the total for the year of 366.2 mm is well above the average of 264.4 mm.

We got 2.0 cm of snowfall during April putting the total at 241.5 cm.  This means we are (probably) ending the 2025-26 snowfall season as the third highest in the region (and of course much higher than then the average of 159.7 cm).  

Summary for April 2026:
Maximum Temperature 22.1°C
Minimum Temperature -7.6°C
Average Daily High Temperature 13.4°C (Long term average 11.8°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 2.6°C (Long term average 0.9°C)
Total Precipitation 130.4 mm (Long term average 76.4 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2025 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)

March 2026 Summary

A warm March with the most precipitation in 15 years

The month of March had a week of warm temperatures at the beginning of the month, two very warm days, and very few colder days.  The result was an overall temperature that was more than one and half degrees above average, making it the first warmer than average month since last October.

During the last days of warm temperatures, the annual weather station contest ended at 3:45 pm on the 30th when the temperature first hit 20°C. Congratulations to the contest winner Sarah Nichol.

There were three really wet days during March including over 35 mm on the 31st.  The total for the month was 128.2 mm, almost double the average of 65.8.  This was the wettest March since 2011 and the sixth wettest in the history of records in the region that go back to 1914.

After a strong start to the snowfall season, there were only 13.5.0 cm, about half the average of 26.5 cm.  This makes the total for the snowfall season at 239.5 cm, clearly well about the average of a typical season of 159.7 cm.  For now this is the third highest total for a single snowfall season in the region, but of course there can still be snow in April.

Summary for March 2026:
Maximum Temperature 20.4°C
Minimum Temperature -19.3°C
Average Daily High Temperature 6.5°C (Long term average 4.4°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature -4.1°C (Long term average -5.3°C)
Total Precipitation 128.2 mm (Long term average 65.8 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2025 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)

February 2026 Summary

A cold and dry February

It was very cold the first week and half of the month, with the -28.7°C low on the 9th being the coldest temperature we have seen in 4 years.  The rest of the month was noticeably different, with fluctuations both above and below average, along with some temperatures in the high single digits.  However, these warmer temperatures were not enough to offset the cold start, with the overall temperature coming in almost one degree below average.

For the entire meteorological winter (December-January-February), the average temperature was two degrees below average, which was the coldest winter since 2014-15.

There wasn’t a lot of precipitation in the first half of the month and while there was more in the second half, the total of 33.0 mm was just about the half of the average of 62.7 mm.

After many months of very high snowfall, the total for February of 19.5 cm was well below the average of 30 cm.  The total so far this snowfall season of 226.0 cm is now tied for first place for the end of February.  But unless we get a lot more in March it will likely not be the snowiest season we have seen in the region.

Summary for February 2026:

Maximum Temperature 9.2°C
Minimum Temperature -28.7°C
Average Daily High Temperature -1.1°C (Long term average -1.0°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature -12.2°C (Long term average -10.4°C)
Total Precipitation 33.0 mm (Long term average 62.7 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2025 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)

January 2026 Summary

A cold and very snowy January

The couple of warm days in the first half of the month were more than offset by a very cold week at the end of the month.  During those days, the temperature went above -10°C for only a few hours and during four of the days it went below -20°C.  The overall temperature was more than one and half degrees below the average.

The total precipitation of 74.6 mm was just a little above the average of 69.8 mm.  But the big story was of course the snowfall, the 89.0 cm was over twice the average of 43.7 cm and the fourth highest for any January.

Overall for the snowfall season we have had 206.5 cm compared to the average of 95.3 cm for this point in the season.  This is the most snow we have had at the end of January in the history of weather records in the region, just ahead of the winter of 2008-09 by about 5 cm.

Summary for January 2026:

Maximum Temperature 11.4°C
Minimum Temperature -25.0°C
Average Daily High Temperature -4.3°C (Long term average -2.2°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature -11.8°C (Long term average -10.3°C)
Total Precipitation 74.6 mm (Long term average 69.8 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1998-2025 data from the Soulis Memorial Weather Station at the University of Waterloo)