Must-read weather stats for the Canadian winter that was (or wasn't)
Whether or not you noticed, the 2023-24 winter has been rather odd and memorable at times in Canada. While some of elements of it can be described as lacklustre, the season didn't have a shortage of must-read statistics and massive weather events.
When looking at the overall winter in Canada, it has had quite the number of surprises and disappointments. Not a single month has gone by without some notable feat or remarkable event occurring.
SPRING 2024: Get an in-depth look at the Spring Forecast, tips to plan for it, and much more!
Below, we break down each month and its memorable weather highlight in Canada.
December 2023
Record rainfall across southern Quebec as a stream of Gulf moisture pushed north, causing significant flooding up the St. Lawrence River.
A significant portion of Canada had a green Christmas including Edmonton, Alta., Regina, Sask., Thunder Bay, Toronto and Ottawa, Ont., and Montreal, Que., and Halifax, N.S. –– the first time on record all those cities simultaneously recorded a green Christmas.
Record-breaking warmth across the Prairies and Northern Canada, including the warmest December on record for Calgary, Regina, Churchill and many other communities.
January 2024
Coldest minimum temperatures in decades across Alberta, and chilliest maximum daytime highs in recent memory across British Columbia and Alberta.
Edmonton recorded five consecutive days below -40°C, with daytime highs staying below -30°C.
The Alberta power grid was put under intense pressure as demand threatened to exceed supply.
Vancouver had wind chills below -20, making the city feel its coldest since December of 1968
Great Lakes ice cover unusually peaked in January at just 16 per cent, one of the lowest readings on record.
A rare winter occurrence on Jan. 30 saw Canada notch a balmy 21.1°C reading in Maple Creek, Sask., failing just short of becoming the country's warmest-ever January temperature, which is 22.2°C, set in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Jan. 26, 1950.
However, it was enough to make it Saskatchewan's warmest January day on record.
February 2024
A massive, stalling low-pressure system brought, locally, more than 100 cm of snowfall to Cape Breton, N.S., smashing long-standing snowfall records.
On Feb. 5, Halifax Stanfield International Airport reported 96 cm of snowpack, the deepest snowpack on record.
Unseasonably warm conditions brought southern Ontario extreme February temperatures, typically seen in late April or early May.
Ottawa recorded its warmest February day on record at 15.7°C, while Windsor reached 23°C –– its warmest February day, as well.
Toronto recorded the warmest February on record with an average temperature above freezing, the first time ever documented.
Winter 2023-24 summary
The snow standouts for the winter 2023-24 months of December, January, and February include the city of Toronto receiving comparable snow amounts to the city of Vancouver.
The record-breaking surge of snow across the Maritimes pushed Halifax to 147 per cent of its normal snowfall, while the city of Ottawa caught a significant snow break this season.
Over the coming days, we’ll analyze the seasonal temperatures and see where the season ranked in terms of temperature. But, spoiler alert, it was the warmest winter on record for some locations in Canada.
With files from Nathan Howes, a digital reporter at The Weather Network.
