Historical trends for December
December is winding down and with the exception of a few storms, Atlantic Canada has fared pretty well. While we still have a few months of winter ahead, let’s take a look back through Decembers past.
The Climate Trends and Variations Bulletin (CTVB) produced by Environment Canada, helps Canadians learn about how our climate has changed over the years. In the winter of 2018-2019, the average national temperature was 1.1° C above the average baseline, making it the 29th warmest winter since national data began being collected in 1948. The warmest winter occurred in 2009-2010 when the national average temperature was a whopping 4.1° C above the baseline, and the winter of 1971-1972 takes home the coldest, with an average landing 3.6° C below the baseline. According to this data, winter temperatures across the nation have warmed by 3.3° C over the past 72 years. Visit the Environment
Canada website this spring to check out the newest CTVB and see how the winter of 20192020 compares.
Atlantic Canadians are no strangers to harsh winters, claiming some of the nation’s records for snowfalls and storms. Gander Newfoundland sees an average of 443 cm of snow per year, making it one of Canada’s snowiest cities. Not to be outdone, Moncton, New Brunswick managed to break its own snowfall record in 2015, hitting 500 cm. Back in 1982, Prince Edward Island was plagued with a storm so strong the island came to a standstill for a week. 100 km/h winds shook the province as it was covered with sevenmetre high snowdrifts which buried trains and kept islanders stranded from the mainland. We can’t forget 2004’s White Juan, which lashed Atlantic Canada, dumping 70 cm of snow and causing Nova Scotia to declare a state of emergency. Although there’s something exciting to be said about breaking records, let’s hope this winter doesn’t bring any new ones in the harsh-winter department.