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)

October 2023 Summary

A warm October with average precipitation

There was a very hot streak the first week of October with 3 days close to 30°C, followed by about two weeks when it was close to average.  After that we saw another week of warmer than average temperatures a bit above 20°C and then the month ended with a few cold days.  The overall temperature was little over a degree and half above average, this makes it the fourth warmest October in the 25 year history of the Soulis Memorial Weather Station.

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 it made the frost-free season last 158 days, which is very close to the average of 160 days.

Although the month started off dry, the rest of month had more typical precipitation, resulting in a final total of 78.0 mm very close to the average of 81.0 mm.  There has now been a total precipitation of 824.0 mm in first 10 months of the year, this is well above the 682.5 mm 

Summary for October 2023:

Maximum Temperature 29.2°C

Minimum Temperature -2.4°C

Average Daily High Temperature 15.4°C (Long term average 14.2°C)

Average Daily Low Temperature 6.8°C (Long term average 4.6°C)

Total Precipitation 78.0 mm (Long term average 81.0 mm)

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

September 2023 Summary

A hot September that was the driest in over 50 years

For the first time since April we had a warmer than average month, it was about a degree warmer than average, which made it the warmest September in 5 years.  There were 3 days above 30°C where we usually only see one of those every couple of years.  Finally, the 32.0°C that occurred on the fifth was likely the warmest temperature for the year.

It was also very dry, in fact the 18.0 mm of precipitation made it the 4th driest in the history of the region where records go back over 100 years.  The last time it was this dry was way back in 1969 when only 12.7 mm fell.  Over half the rain fell on the 12th when we got 12.4 mm, there were only a few millimeters on a few days apart from that.

This dry month means that the total precipitation for this time of year of 746.0 mm is still above, but now closer to the average of 683.5 mm than it was last month.

Summary for September 2023:

Maximum Temperature 32.0°C

Minimum Temperature 3.2°C

Average Daily High Temperature 22.9°C (Long term average 22.0°C)

Average Daily Low Temperature 11.5°C (Long term average 10.3°C)

Total Precipitation 18.0 mm (Long term average 75.6 mm)

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

August 2023 Summary

A wet month that was cooler than average  

We certainly didn’t see the heat of a typical August, for instance there were no days above 30°C compared to the average of 2.  Also the maximum temperature was 28.5°C, the lowest maximum temperature since 1994.  All of that resulted in an overall temperature that was 1.3 degrees below average, as is hard to call any August “cool”, so let’s call it the “least hot” one since 2008.

The precipitation was consistent throughout the month with a final total of 92.4 mm.  This would have been within the average range using the former long term average (83.9 mm) from 1981-2010, but using the 25 year average from the weather station (66.5 mm), it is now a wetter than average month.

This wet month put the total precipitation so far in 2023 at 728.0 mm, much above the average of 525.8 mm.  It is the tenth wettest year in the history of weather records in the area that go back over 100 years.

Summary for August 2023:

Maximum Temperature 28.5°C
Minimum Temperature 6.4°C
Average Daily High Temperature 24.2°C (Long term average 25.6°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 13.0°C (Long term average 14.2°C)
Total Precipitation 92.4 mm (Long term average 66.5 mm)

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

July 2023 Summary

A very wet July with average temperatures

The people have spoken! Around 80% of the people who responded thought we should start to use the 25 years of data from the Soulis Weather Station rather than waiting for the updated 30 year averages from Environment and Climate Change Canada.  More details on the differences of making this change will come later, but for right now let’s just concentrate on the changes for this month.

Apart from a few days over 30°C at the beginning of the month and one at the end, most of the rest of the month were consistently in the high 20s.  Here we have the first consequence of the change of the averages, using the old averages it would have been a bit less than degree warmer than average.  However, with the new averages this goes down to only 0.1 degrees, which is now within the average range.  

It was a consistently wet month with 4 days over 20 mm of rain, resulting in a total of 159.2 mm.  This is well above the average of 78.2 mm (it would have also been well above the previous average of 98.6 mm) and quite the contrast to last year when we only got 18.7 mm.  It was also the wettest July since 2014 and in the top 10 in the history of weather records in the region.  

The very wet month put the total for the year of 635.6 mm well above the average of 459.3 mm (the previous average for this time of year was 509.0 mm).


Summary for July 2023:
Maximum Temperature 32.0°C
Minimum Temperature 10.7°C
Average Daily High Temperature 26.5°C (Long term average 26.5°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 15.1°C (Long term average 14.8°C)
Total Precipitation 159.2 mm (Long term average 78.2 mm)

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

June 2023 Summary

 A very average June for both temperature and precipitation 

Really not that much to say about the temperature during the month of June.  It was a little bit warm at the start of the month (a few days above 30°C), and a bit cooler in the middle (a few days where it didn’t get above 20°C).  Overall, it was about half a degree above average, which still puts it in the average range.

The month started off very dry with a streak of almost three weeks with no precipitation going back to May.  This streak was broken by a couple of wet days with over 40 mm of rain, followed by another dry streak for another week.  A bit more rain in the last week put the total precipitation at 70.8 mm, less than the average of 82.4 mm, but again within the average range. 

With only one below average month so far this year (May), the total precipitation we have seen in the first half of the year of 476.4 mm is above the average total of 416.1 mm.

Summary for June 2023:

Maximum Temperature 31.6°C
Minimum Temperature 5.7°C
Average Daily High Temperature 24.2°C (Long term average 23.6°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 11.9°C (Long term average 11.5°C)
Total Precipitation 70.8 mm (Long term average 82.4 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport)

May 2023 Summary

A very dry May with average temperatures 

I know it was really hot at the end of May, but if you look back to the beginning of the month we had a few single digit temperatures.  In between there were some hot and some cold days, this made the overall temperature just slightly (0.1 degrees) above average.

As well, with the lack of precipitation (see below) and consequently lack of clouds, it made the daytime highs just a bit higher (1.6 degrees above average) and the nighttime lows just a bit lower (1.5 degrees below average).  

The last below zero temperature was May 18th, this is 12 days later than the average in the last 25 years of the Soulis Weather Station and the second latest during that time.  

But maybe a bigger story was the lack of precipitation, particularly the 11 days of dry weather to end the month.  About two thirds of the total precipitation of 31.6 mm came down during the first week, not leaving much for the rest of May, which typically has an average of 82.3 mm.

The first four months of the year were very wet, so even after this dry month, the total for the year of 405.6 mm is still well above the average of 340.2 mm.

Thanks to everyone who came out the to the 25th anniversary open house, it was great meeting people who are interested in the station, answering questions, and showing off the weather station equipment.  As you may have also noticed we have also renamed the station after the late professor Eric (Ric) Soulis, who was of course the driving force behind creating the station.  See pictures from the open house and renaming ceremony here:  http://uwweatherstation.blogspot.com/2023/06/25th-anniversary-open-house-and.html

Summary for May 2023:

Maximum Temperature 31.4°C
Minimum Temperature -1.1°C
Average Daily High Temperature 20.1°C (Long term average 18.5°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 5.0°C (Long term average 6.4°C)
Total Precipitation 31.6 mm (Long term average 82.3 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport)

25th Anniversary Open House and renaming ceremony

February 28, 2023 was the 25th anniversary of the University of Waterloo Weather Station, and on May 18th from 3:30-5:30 pm there was a celebration of this event with an open house at the station along with the official renaming of the station in honour of the late Civil Engineering Professor Ric Soulis. The new name of the weather station will be the 'Eric D. (Ric) Soulis Memorial Weather Station'.  Ric was the driving force behind establishing this station 25 years ago.  

Thanks for everyone who came out!

Here are some pictures from the event:

Technologist Mark Sobon giving a tour of the station equipment.

Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Chair Scott Walbridge addresses the crowd.

Weather Station Coordinator Frank Seglenieks speaks at the event

Carol Moogk-Soulis addresses the crowd

The Soulis family at the open house

CEE professors Scott Walbridge, James Craig,  and Bryan Tolson with Carol Moogk-Soulis

April 2023 Summary

A very warm and very wet April

Even a relatively cool second half of the month couldn’t make up for the extremely hot week that occurred in the middle.  From April 12-16 the temperature reached 26.0°C or more for 5 straight days, this was the first streak that long during April in the history of records in the region.  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).

The overall temperature was 2 degrees higher than the average, making it the third warmest in the 25 year history of the UW Weather Station.

April had two days with over 25 mm of precipitation, these along with a few other wet days were enough to make up for a dry week during the month.  The total precipitation was 115.6 mm compared to the average of only 74.5 mm.

This month continues the wet pattern we have seen so far this year, the total for the year (374.0 mm) is well above the average at this time of year (264.4 mm).

The total snowfall that came down during the month of 1.0 cm was a lot less than the average of 7.3 cm.  This puts the total for the snowfall season at 119.5 cm, well below the average of 159.7 cm.

Summary for April 2023:

Maximum Temperature 29.0°C
Minimum Temperature -7.5°C
Average Daily High Temperature 14.0°C (Long term average 11.5°C)
Average Daily Low Temperature 2.3°C (Long term average 0.8°C)
Total Precipitation 115.6 mm (Long term average 74.5 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport)

March 2023

A wet March with consistently average temperatures

It was a very average month for temperature that was very consistent, there were only a few days that were even a little bit hot or cool, mostly they were just average.  With that in mind, it isn’t too surprising that the overall temperate was in the average range, just 0.4 degrees above average.

The large amount of precipitation that fell in March was pretty well distributed throughout the month, punctuated by large storms at the beginning and end.  The total precipitation of 105.0 mm was well above the average of 61.0 mm and the second wettest in the last 10 years.

The amount of snowfall we got this March of 21.5 cm was a bit less than the 26.5 cm of snow that we get on average.  The puts the total for the snowfall season at 118.5 cm, well below the average for a typical season of 159.7 cm.

Summary for March 2023:

Maximum Temperature 9.9°C

Minimum Temperature -19.7°C

Average Daily High Temperature 4.0°C (Long term average 3.6°C)

Average Daily Low Temperature -5.2°C (Long term average -5.6°C)

Total Precipitation 105.0 mm (Long term average 61.0 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport)

February 2023

A very warm February with lots of precipitation

First off, a special note that this month marked the 25th anniversary of the UW Weather station.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the UW Weather Station over the past 25 years. We are planning an open house to celebrate later in the year, look for an announcement coming soon.

With the cold end to the month, it might be hard to remember just how warm it started out with only 2 colder than average days in the first 21.  As a result, the overall temperature was 3 degrees higher than average, this makes it the sixth warmest February in the history of weather records in the region, which go back to 1914.

As well, looking at the meteorological winter (December-January-February), the average temperature was -2.1°C.  This was the third warmest winter only behind 2001-02 and 1931-32. 

Overall, the month of February saw 85.0 mm of precipitation, well above the average of 54.9 mm, more than any month last year and the most since October 2021.  There was one particularly wet day on the ninth when we had 35.6 cm of precipitation (the fourth wettest single day in February).

With over 2 weeks during the month when we received no snow, the few storms in the last week only got the snowfall total to 22.0 cm, well below the average of 30.3 cm for February.  The total since the Fall is now 97.0 cm, which compares to 125.6 cm for this point in the snowfall season.

It is also that time of year for the annual UW 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:

http://weather.uwaterloo.ca/contest_2023/contest_entry_period.asp

Summary for February 2023:

Maximum Temperature 12.3°C

Minimum Temperature -19.7°C

Average Daily High Temperature 2.2°C (Long term average -1.2°C)

Average Daily Low Temperature -7.2°C (Long term average -9.7°C)

Total Precipitation 85.0 mm (Long term average 54.9 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport)

January 2023

A very warm January with little sun

With only a couple of days that were colder than average, it is not surprising that the month overall was 4.5 degrees above average.  This made it the fourth warmest January in the history of weather records in the region which go back over 100 years.  The last warmer one was in 2006 and then you have to go all the way back to 1932 and 1933.

Coming off a very dry year overall, it is sort of notable that the first month of this year was even just an average month for precipitation.  The total of 68.4 mm was only a bit above the average of 65.2 mm.

In the first 20 days of January we only had 4.0 cm of snow at the UW Weather Station, this is the lowest for the beginning of January since 1957.  The 17.5 cm that fell on the 26th helped put the total snowfall for the month at 35.0 cm, which is less than the average of 43.7 cm.  Overall for the snowfall season we have had 75.0 cm, below the average of 95.3 cm for this point in the season.

And one last thing, a topic of conversation last month was how cloudy and gloomy it was, particularly to start the month.  Some people didn’t think we would ever see the sun again.  This is something that is hard to quantify, but choosing an arbitrary value for incoming solar radiation, let’s call it a dreary day when it doesn’t go above 400 Watts per square metre.  This year there were 23 dreary days this January, since the UW weather station was established in 1998 (hey isn’t that 25 years ago?) this is the highest number for that month (2011 is second with 18). 

Summary for January 2023:

Maximum Temperature 4.4°C

Minimum Temperature -17.9°C

Average Daily High Temperature 0.6°C (Long term average -2.6°C)

Average Daily Low Temperature -4.5°C (Long term average -10.3°C)

Total Precipitation 68.4 mm (Long term average 65.2 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport)

2022 Summary

University of Waterloo Weather Station Annual Summary - 2022

There was 1 big weather story for 2022: how dry it was throughout the year! 

With only 580.3 mm of precipitation, it was the sixth driest year since weather records began the region in 1914 and the lowest total precipitation since the 540.4 mm in 1963 (by the way, the lowest on record was 399.0 mm in 1937).  February was the only month that had above average precipitation, 3 months were in the average range, and the rest were all drier than average.  Anyone who had a hard time keeping a garden alive or watching their grass turn brown will remember just how dry it was, particularly during the summer.

It was only a bit drier than average for the first three months of the year, then started the pattern we would see for the rest of the 2022.  It was the driest April in the last 10 years, coming in at around 30 mm less than the average, while May was 20 mm less.

Then came the peak dryness during the months from June to September, overall for those months we had less than 40% of the average.  June and July had the least precipitation since 2007 and 2001, respectively, while July, with only 18.7 mm, was the fifth driest July on record and the least amount for any month since March of 2014.  

Continuing the pattern, August only saw a little more than half the average precipitation and was the driest since 2010.  At only 22.2 mm of precipitation, September was the fourth driest for that month since records began in the region and we have to go back to 1998 to find one with less precipitation.

Then October and November were the driest since 2008 and 2012, respectively.  December finally had very close to average precipitation, although it was close, as almost half of the month’s total came during the last two days of the month.

Looking at temperature, the year started out with a very cold January, with an overall temperature that was almost 4 degrees below average.  This was the most below average of any month since February of 2015.  The low temperature of -32.4°C on the 29th was the second lowest temperature we have seen since the UW Weather station was established back in February of 1998 (the all-time low was -35.5°C on Feb 16, 2015).

During the next few months, the temperature swung back and forth between being warmer and colder than average.  Here are a couple of notable days in first half of 2022:  The high of 25.9°C on the 24th of April was the second highest April temperature in the last 10 years.  While the high on June 21st of 34.1°C was the highest temperature since the 34.5°C on July 9, 2020 and it was also the highest June temperature since June 27, 2005 when it was 34.9°C.

The last six months of the year were much warmer at 1.2 degrees above average, with only July coming in below average (and that was only by 0.07 of a degree).

The most notable longer stretch of temperatures was a 2 week period at the end of October and the start of November when the average high was 16.3°C, which is about 8 degrees higher than the average for that period.  The high of 23.4°C on November 5th was only the fourth time on record we have seen a November temperature above 23°C.

As far as the snowfall season of 2021-22, the total was 176.5 cm, well above the average of 159.7 cm.  Between January 17 and 18, a total of 33.0 cm of snow came down, this was the second or third highest snowfall total for a single storm since we started measuring daily snowfall at the station in 2001.  The single day total for the 17th was 22.5 cm making it the highest single day total since March 9, 2005 when we had 31.5 cm.

Frank Seglenieks

weather@uwaterloo.ca
University of Waterloo Weather Station Coordinator

Summary for 2022 (averages from 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport):

Average Daily High Temperature: 13.26°C (average 12.05ºC)
Average Daily Low Temperature: 1.15°C  (average 1.94ºC)
Total Precipitation: 580.3 mm (average 916.3 mm) 

As the UW Weather Station was not operating for most of 2022 no extremes are being reported 

Click on the image below to see the temperature chart:

Click on the image below to see the precipitation chart:

December 2022 Summary

A warm December with average precipitation

Apart from a few cold days just before Christmas, it was generally at or above average for the rest of the month.  This resulted in an overall temperature that was almost one and half degrees above average and continues the pattern of warm Decembers in the past 10 years (only 2 have been colder than average).  From the graph it is also interesting to see the steady gradual rise in temperature from the 24th to the 30th.

The rain during the last days of the month (24.4 mm) brought us from below average to just above, but still within the average range.  The total came in at 73.0 mm, a little more than the average of 71.2 mm, this is only the second month this year that had more precipitation than average.  Of that total precipitation, we had 23.5 cm of snow, this compares to the average of 37.2 cm for December.

Summary for December 2022:

Maximum Temperature 10.4°C

Minimum Temperature -16.4°C

Average Daily High Temperature 1.0°C (Long term average 0.2°C)

Average Daily Low Temperature -4.9°C (Long term average -6.8°C)

Total Precipitation 73.0 mm (Long term average 71.2 mm)

(Long term averages based on 1981-2010 data for the Waterloo-Wellington Airport)