Think it’s Been A Brutal winter? You’re right, And it’s not over
About 115 cm of snow have fallen since October, with 42.6 cm in February alone
Storm warning. Parking ban. Snowmageddon. These are just some of the words on the frozen tips of tongues this month.
And if you’re one of the many Calgarians feeling like this winter seems worse than others, you’re not wrong.
David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said Calgary is experiencing the coldest February in nearly a quarter century and an above average snowfall this year.
Environment Canada said the average temperature in Calgary for February is around -5 C, but the city has been in a deep freeze this month with an average of -13.7.
“That polar vortex came back with a vengeance in February and wouldn’t leave,” he said. “It was like an unwanted house guest — you couldn’t get rid of it.”
That vortex brought multiple storm and snowfall warnings to the city and even caused the closure of Deerfoot Trail.
Phillips said daytime temperatures in Calgary this week will be closer to the average, hovering between -5 and -9. But average might not feel very good when looking at the monthly numbers to date.
There have been only three days of melting temperatures this month, something Phillips said is probably adding to the winter blues in a city that often enjoys week-long chinooks.
A warmer-than-average January might have made Calgarians think spring was around the corner. Last month saw a total of 20 melting days and an average temperature of -6.2, only slightly better than the average of -7.1.
As if the cold wasn’t enough, February’s historical numbers get even nastier when considering snowfall, Phillips said.
It might be the shortest month, but Environment Canada said there have been nine days of measurable snowfall in February and another seven days with trace amounts that are too small to track.
He said the city has had roughly 115 centimetres of snow since October of last year, with the average amount for the same period sitting closer to 70 cm.
Out of that 115 cm, Phillips said, 42.6 cm of snow has fallen this month alone, while the average February, year over year, sees about 10 cm.
So what’s the good news? It could always be worse.
Phillips said there will still be flurries this month, but the rest of February’s snowfall and temperatures will be tame compared to what we’ve already seen.
At least this February is better than it was back in 1950 — the coldest February in Calgary since data started being collected in 1881 — when the average temperature was -25.3, nearly twice as cold as it is this month.
But all that news might not reduce your weather-induced mental anguish when you consider roughly half of the expected snowfall for Calgary this year still hasn’t come down.
Phillips said the province could see snow every month of the year and, if the records are to be believed, there is still 46 per cent of the city’s expected snowfall left to hit the ground this winter.
“If you look at the annual snowfall in Calgary, your snowiest month is March and the next snowiest month is April,” Phillips said.
“So if this year unfolds like other years, well, you’re still going to be shovelling, plowing and pushing. It’s not over.”