Coastal B.C. gets winter wallop

Victoria, BC, 12 Feb 2019 (Royal BC Museum Inner Harbour Webcam)

Wintry weather doesn’t visit the coast of British Columbia very often but it certainly causes disruption when it arrives.

Following back to back snow days, Vancouver has picked up almost 25 cm of snow with higher amounts in the Fraser Valley and Victoria has recorded more than 40 cm.

An Arctic outflow pushing temperatures below freezing combined with low pressure off Vancouver Island is creating snowy rather than more typical rainy conditions.

Traffic and transit services were snarled, schools were cancelled and scattered power outages kept crews busy in the region.

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Storm ravaged B.C. to get more active weather

Power crews working on restoration efforts in Nanaimo, BC, 25 Dec 2018 (BC Hydro)

Almost 7,000 customers are still without electricity in British Columbia after the most powerful windstorm in 20 years struck the province a week ago.

BC Hydro says most of the remaining outages are in the southern Gulf Islands and those customers should be back on the grid by New Year’s Eve.

At the storm’s peak about 700,000 customers were in the dark after wind gusts of between 90 and 123 km/h were recorded on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.

After a brief quiet period over Christmas, the next system is coming this weekend bringing more active weather including rain, snow, and gusty winds.

Snowstorm sweeps Southeastern U.S.

Man cuts fallen tree blocking a road in South Carolina, 09 Dec 2018 (Reuters)

Several deaths have been reported after a massive snowstorm buried parts of the Southeastern United States with more than 30 cm falling in several major cities to as much as 60 cm in the Appalachian Mountains.

North Carolina and Virginia were especially hard hit by the storm system which slowly moved out into the Atlantic Ocean today.

Highways became hazardous as snowy, icy conditions led to hundreds of collisions, dozens of flights were cancelled and schools and businesses shut down.

About 300,000 customers also lost electricity during the peak as the storm knocked trees onto power lines.

Enough rain already!

Another low pressure system is heading to the Maritimes with two rounds of rain starting early Tuesday stretching into early Wednesday.

Environment Canada says Greater Moncton could receive up to 35 mm of rain but some parts of the region could get 50 mm or more prompting rainfall warnings.

Winds associated with this system will be much lighter compared to the destructive winds over the weekend.

Meantime, NB Power reports about 27,000 customers remain without electricity (at 11pm AST) since restoration efforts began Sunday morning after a weekend rain and wind storm.

Powerful winds pummel Maritimes

Tree topples over following powerful winds, 04 Nov 2018 (NB Power)

An intense low pressure system moving up from the U.S. Eastern Seaboard brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Maritimes overnight.

The powerful hurricane-force gusts knocked out electricity to more than 100,000 customers in New Brunswick during the height of the storm.

Temperatures were very mild thanks to a southerly flow with highs exceeding 20°C in some areas including a new record of 21.7°C in Cheticamp.

Rainfall amounts (mm):

• Kejimkujik, NS  93
• Alma, NB  85
• Greater Moncton  69
• Fredericton  64
• Saint John  60
• Summerside, PEI  58
• Halifax Stanfield  45

Wind gusts (km/h):

• Bouctouche, NB  119
• North Cape, PEI  117
• Greater Moncton  110
• North Mountain, NS  108
• Grand Etang, NS  106
• Fredericton  102
• Saint John  100
• Halifax Stanfield  100

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)

Strong winds across Atlantic Canada

A fast-moving cold front passed through the Maritimes today on its way to Newfoundland.

Powerful winds developed as a result which knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of customers across New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

The Greater Moncton International Airport recorded a gust of almost 90 km/h late this morning with Cape Breton Island reporting winds of more than 100 km/h.

Many locations across Newfoundland had hurricane-force gusts including Bonavista at 126 km/h, Wreckhouse at 107 km/h and St. John’s at 104 km/h.

The cold front also affected Southern Quebec yesterday with gusts of more than 80 km/h in Montreal and Quebec City.

Powerful winds pummel Eastern Arctic

A powerful storm brought destructive winds to the Eastern Arctic with gusts up to 140 km/h in Nunavut, Nunavik (northern Quebec) and northern Labrador.

The power was knocked out in Iqaluit where residents were cleaning up debris and assessing roof damage on some buildings.

Environment Canada reported a peak wind gust of 124 km/h in Iqaluit but that was still below the record of 156 km/h from 1960.

Forecasters say the cyclogenesis or weather bomb featured rapidly dropping central pressure which generated strong winds.

Summer departs with gusty winds

Hints of fall colours in west end Moncton, 20 Sept 2018 (Dearing)

The same storm system which brought severe weather to Ontario and Quebec – including tornadoes – crossed through New Brunswick overnight.

Strong low pressure caused gusty winds up to 72 km/h at the Greater Moncton International Airport which turned out to be the windiest day since 02 June.

A wind gust of 85 km/h was reported in Charlo.

NB Power said almost 10,000 customers lost power at the peak of the storm thanks to trees and branches falling on utility lines.

Incidentally, fall officially arrives later tonight with the autumnal equinox at 10:54 pm ADT.

Tornadoes tear through Ottawa

Damage from a tornado in west end Ottawa, ON, 22 Sept 2018 (Instagram)

Environment Canada has confirmed two powerful tornadoes ripped through west end Ottawa before touching down again in Gatineau across the Ottawa River.

Officials say dozens were hurt and at least two residents are in hospital with critical injuries.

Tens of thousands were left without power after at least 80 utility poles either snapped or were damaged.

Meteorologists say severe thunderstorms spawned one twister classified as an EF-3 with winds up to 265 km/h while another tornado was an EF-2 with winds up to 220 km/h.

Tornadoes are not uncommon in Southern Ontario but storms of this strength are rare.

Florence creates historic flooding

Fallen tree traps residents inside home, Wilmington, NC, USA, 15 Sept 2018 (ABC)

Since making landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina on Friday morning as a Category 1 hurricane, Florence has claimed at least 15 lives.

Strong winds have toppled trees trapping some and even killing others in their own homes.

Now a tropical depression, the storm has been dumping epic amounts of rain (800 mm or more) on North and South Carolina which has caused flash flooding as rivers and streams spill their banks.

First responders have rescued almost 1,000 residents from floodwaters while nearly one million are without power and tens of thousands have sought refuge in emergency shelters.

Many highways have been left impassable and officials are urging drivers to stay at home and off the roads.