In 2016, a 68-year record for Ontario's earliest tornado broken
On this day in weather history, Ontario saw its earliest tornado.
This Day In Weather History is a daily podcast by Chris Mei from The Weather Network, featuring stories about people, communities and events and how weather impacted them.
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On March 16, 2016, Ontario was surprised with its earliest tornado on record. For Ontario, winter is still the predominant force in March, but an area between Mount Forest, located in the township of Wellington North, and Clifford, got hit with a tornado instead of a blizzard.
As a result, it took the record from Windsor, which was hit with a tornado on March 19, 1948.
Damage caused by the March 16, 2016 tornado
In 10 minutes, tornado travelled 3.5 km and spanned up to 200 metres wide. The tornado measurement system has changed since 1948, but on the Enhanced Fujita scale, the 2016 twister was registered as an EF-1 (out of an EF-5).
The tornado ripped through grain bins, metal sheds, and hundred-year-old trees. As well, one farmhouse had windows shattered and incurred minor damage to its roof. Two farms near the intersection of Minto Normandy Town Line and Ayton Road were especially hard hit by the tornado.
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March sometimes likes to joke around with Ontario, giving the hope of spring before temperatures dip back to winter weather. But 2016 was even warmer than usual, with temperatures reaching double digits.
Damage caused by the March 16, 2016 tornado
A non-severe thunderstorm was overtaken by another line of storms, enhancing the local shear in the environment, allowing for the formation of a brief tornado. Aside from the tornado, the system also produced thunderstorms, showers, and more than two feet of snow in Thunder Bay.
To learn more about Ontario's earliest tornado on record and how El Niño or La Niña patterns impact events like this, listen to today's episode of "This Day In Weather History."
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