Frost-free season ends in Greater Moncton

Frost covers a maple leaf (Twitter)

A light, scattered frost appeared in Greater Moncton this morning with a chilly record-breaking low temperature of -1.3°C.

Unofficially this is a record low for 20 September and it also means the frost-free period – which on average lasts 134 days – is now over.

While 04 October is the average first fall frost date, Environment Canada notes how there’s a 33 percent chance it can occur before 21 September.

The frost-free period was much shorter in 2020 at only 102 days thanks to a late spring frost on 10 June when the thermometer dropped to -0.6°C.

UPDATE – Numerous record lows were broken early Monday morning including: -Greater Moncton broke record of -1.1°C set in 1904. -Edmundston dropped to -6.2°C which broke record of -3.0°C from 1986.

Hot & Cold in the West

Frost in the pumpkin patch, Holland, MB, 08 Sept 2020 (Twitter/@aggielovesgeer)

High pressure allowed skies to clear and temperatures to drop across the Prairies with widespread frost in the final days of summer.

Environment Canada says record lows were set in all three provinces on 08 September.

Saskatoon sank to a bone-chilling minimum of -6.9°C, Crowsnest Pass, AB plummeted to -5.6°C and Melita, MB dropped to -3.4°C.

Meantime, the heat is on in British Columbia with daytime highs climbing into the low 30s C even along the Pacific coast.

The hot weather is combined with air quality statements about smoke for parts of the province from wildfires in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Wild roller coaster ride along the Rocky Mountains

Snow near Caroline, AB, 07 Sept 2020 (Twitter/@Chris_Ravary)

A sharp dip in the jet stream led to a dramatic temperature drop along the Rockies from Alberta to Colorado.

A cold rain changed to snow in Calgary and about 15 cm was measured at some ski resorts.

Denver saw a swing of 30 degrees Celsius in less than 24 hours and snow fell for only the second time on record in early September.

Snow accumulation was also expected in the states of Wyoming and Montana.

Forecasters are calling for a return to warmer weather later this week.

Frost in July??!!

Frost advisories in northern New Brunswick, 15 July 2020

It may be mid-July but an unusual frost advisory has been posted across northern New Brunswick.

A cool northeasterly flow will bring the overnight low into the single digits for Edmundston, Campbellton and Bathurst.

Farmers and gardeners are urged to protect sensitive plants and crops.

Environment Canada says warmer, more seasonable temperatures will return this weekend.

UPDATE – No reports of widespread frost but it may have been scattered in some areas with a low of 1.7°C in Red Pines. south of Bathurst.

No official record lows were broken but Woodstock fell to 2.5°C, Doaktown dropped to 4.2°C and Bathurst bottomed out at 4.8°C.

June 2020 – Suddenly it’s hot!

Irishtown Nature Park, Moncton, 16 June 2020 (Dearing)

The first half of June was cold and dry similar to May and April.

But by mid-month, after struggling to reach the 20s, temperatures suddenly began climbing into the 30s.

On 19 June, Greater Moncton hit a sizzling 35.6°C (humidex 40) which is the hottest June temperature in recorded history.

The thermometer climbed above 30°C six times and the average is only once.

Before the heat arrived, a light frost occurred on 10 June which damaged some sensitive crops like strawberries.

Farmers and gardeners also lamented a lack of rain with only one-third of the normal monthly amount recorded.

JUNE 2020 ALMANAC (at Greater Moncton Int’l Airport, 1981-2010)

Average HIGH 23.8°C

Average LOW 10.0°C

AVERAGE 16.9°C (about 1.7 degrees ABOVE normal)

Extreme HIGH 35.6°C (19 June, new monthly record)

Extreme LOW -0.6°C (10 June)

RAINFALL 34.3 mm (about 65 percent BELOW normal)

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)

From cold to hot

Leaves are finally bursting out, Irishtown Nature Park, 24 May 2020 (Dearing)

Numerous record lows were set across the Maritimes early Sunday morning as temperatures plummeted under clear skies and light winds.

But the cold will be replaced by heat as the jet stream surges north over Eastern Canada this week.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for New Brunswick with unseasonably warm weather expected for late May.

Records will be challenged in Greater Moncton as daytime highs soar to 30°C and humidex values reach the mid-30’s.

New record lows set on 24 May:

• Woodstock -4.7°C
• Edmundston -3.0°C
• Grand Manan -2.8°C
• Bouctouche -1.9°C
• Saint John -1.6°C
• Kejimkujik NP -1.6°C
• Summerside -1.4°C

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)

Finally 20°C!

The thermometer finally hit 20°C in Greater Moncton – a benchmark not seen since 26 September (almost eight months!) – and it comes much later compared to recent years.

The temperature reached 20.3°C late this afternoon although Fredericton was the hot spot in New Brunswick at 21.7°C.

It has been an exceptionally cold spring – May is running about four degrees below average to date – and even slightly colder than last year’s chilly season.

Environment Canada is forecasting another cool start to the week but a warming trend could push daytime highs to almost 30°C by Friday.

Polar vortex brings cold, snow

Snow in Hanwell, NB, 09 May 2020 (Twitter/@marlowcam8)

It’s the middle of May and spring has barely appeared in New Brunswick so far and now an intense low pressure system has brought a wintry blast.

Greater Moncton had strong winds along with a cold rain which later turned to snow and a couple centimetres accumulated on colder surfaces like vehicles.

But the central, western and northern parts of the province got blasted with more than 30 cm of heavy, wet snow in some areas.

Meteorologists say cold air from the polar vortex continues to loom over eastern North America with new record lows set in Ontario this weekend and New York City recorded its latest trace of snow since 1977.

Snowfall amounts, 10 May at 3pm ADT (cm):

• Woodstock  33
• New Maryland  24
• Bouctouche  22
• Grand Falls  20
• Miramichi  20
• Fredericton  9
• Bathurst  6

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)

Most of Canada cold in April

This past April was a cold one for much of #Canada, notably in the Prairies with an anomaly of more than 5°C for #Saskatoon! On the opposite, the northern coast experienced higher temperatures than normal; by more than 6°C for Alert! #wxtwitter #climate pic.twitter.com/AEcsbeljPE

— Patrick Duplessis (@Pat_wx) May 1, 2020

April 2020 – Where’s spring?

First dandelions of spring in Moncton, 30 Apr 2020 (Dearing)

Signs of spring were extremely rare in April with frigid overnight lows in Greater Moncton making it feel like a continuation of March.

Any warmth came in short spurts with only 11 days above 10°C and some nights sank as low as -5°C right up to the end of the month.

Like the previous month, April was also quite dry with both rainfall and snowfall amounts well below average.

APRIL 2020 ALMANAC (at Greater Moncton Int’l Airport, 1981-2010)

Average HIGH 8.3°C

Average LOW -2.4°C

AVERAGE 3.0°C (about 0.5 degrees BELOW normal)

Extreme HIGH 15.7°C (30 Apr)

Extreme LOW -6.3°C (09 Apr)

RAINFALL 19.2 mm (about 70 percent BELOW normal)

SNOWFALL 19.8 cm (about 35 percent BELOW normal)

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)