Active weather across Eastern Canada

Courtesy Environment Canada, 04 April 2018

Weather warnings are covering Southern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada as a strong low pressure system brings strong winds, heavy rain, snow and freezing rain.

Sudbury picked up 29 cm of snow, four hours of freezing rain fell in Ottawa and Toronto Billy Bishop Airport had a peak wind gust of 98 km/h.

Southeast New Brunswick is the only part of the province not under a weather warning.

Northern New Brunswick could receive 30 cm of snow from this system while central and southwestern portions are under a rainfall warning with up to 35 mm possible.

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March 2018 – Stormy!

Whiteout conditions during a winter storm, west end Moncton, 08 March 2018 (Dearing)

Although March came in like a lamb, it behaved like a lion in the days to follow with four Nor’easters over two weeks in Southeast New Brunswick.

The first storm brought 15 cm, the second and third storms each delivered 16 cm and the fourth packed the biggest punch with 30 cm.

By 23 March, the snow cover in Greater Moncton had reached 40 cm which was the heaviest of the winter even though it was already spring.

Temperatures during the first half were mild averaging near the freezing point with brief cold snaps around the middle and near the end of the month.

MARCH 2018 ALMANAC (at Greater Moncton Int’l Airport, 1981-2010)

Average HIGH  1.3 C

Average LOW  -4.7 C

AVERAGE  -1.7 C (about 1.2 degrees ABOVE normal)

Extreme HIGH  9.1 C (29 Mar)

Extreme LOW  -15.4 C (26 Mar)

RAINFALL  11.0 mm (almost 80 percent BELOW normal)

SNOWFALL  102.3 cm (about 40 percent ABOVE normal)

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)

Freezing fog!

Freezing fog in Summerside, PEI, 27 March 2018 (Twitter)

Residents of Southeast New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island woke up to freezing fog this morning.

This occurs when water droplets develop during fog and freeze instantly when temperatures are below freezing.

The last three early mornings in Greater Moncton have been below -10°C and have dropped to a near record low of -15.4°C.

With nearly 40 cm of snow on the ground, this is the heaviest cover of white this winter season – keeping in mind this is now early spring.

Nor’easter number four!

Moncton’s west end after the latest Nor’easter, 23 March 2018 (Dearing)

It seems a bit strange the largest single snowfall this winter in Greater Moncton actually occurred on the second full day of spring.

Environment Canada says Southeast New Brunswick hit the snow jackpot from the fourth Nor’easter this month with more than 30 cm recorded.

A storm on 30 January was the previous snowfall event winner with almost 25 cm.

Strong winds were also a factor in this storm gusting at times to 82 km/h.

Here are some other snowfall totals:

• Kentville, NS  24 cm
• Alma, NB  20 cm
• Yarmouth, NS  18 cm
• Sussex, NB  17 cm
• Charlottetown, PEI  12 cm
• Halifax Stanfield Airport, NS  11 cm
• Bathurst, NB  8 cm
• Saint John, NB  6 cm

Strike number 3!

Wet, heavy snow in NE Moncton, 14 March 2018 (Dearing)

The third Nor’easter in a week to strike Southeast New Brunswick packed less punch than the other two despite predictions it would be the strongest.

Temperatures remained near freezing in Greater Moncton during the snowfall which made it extremely heavy and wet and strong winds gusted to 85 km/h.

The western and northeastern parts of the province were hardest hit from this storm.

Snowfall totals as of 9pm ADT, 14 March:

• Miramichi  46 cm
• Bathurst  40 cm
• Fredericton  38 cm
• Saint John  27 cm
• Greater Moncton  16 cm
• Halifax Stanfield Airport  12 cm
• Charlottetown  5 cm

Peak wind gusts:

• Grand Etang  146 km/h
• Lunenburg  104 km/h
• Sydney  85 km/h
• Halifax Stanfield  83 km/h

Winter storm 2 of 3

Traffic on a snowy West Main Street, Moncton, 08 March 2018 (Dearing)

The second of three winter storms in less than a week has delivered another dumping of snow but this time it was more evenly distributed throughout the Maritimes.

The snow was heavy and wet especially in Southeast New Brunswick.

Snow totals courtesy of Environment Canada as of 8:30am Saturday, 10 March:

• Caraquet, 29 cm
• Shediac, 27 cm
• Halifax Stanfield Airport, 23 cm
• Bathurst, 20 cm
• Miramichi, 17 cm
• Saint John, 17 cm
• Truro, 17 cm
• Greater Moncton, 16 cm
• Summerside, 16 cm
• Greenwood, 15 cm
• Charlottetown, 12 cm
• Halifax Downtown, 9 cm
• CFB Gagetown, 7 cm

Strong winds were also a factor with peak gusts in km/h:

• Grand Etang, Cape Breton, 154
• East Point, PEI, 82
• Caraquet, 78

1-2-3 Winter Punch Coming

An early sign of spring in downtown Moncton, 03 March 2018 (Dearing)

After days of cloudy skies and mostly dry conditions, it seems Old Man Winter is returning.

While no weather warnings are currently in place for Southeast New Brunswick, snowfall advisories have been issued for areas to the north and west.

Environment Canada says a low pressure system approaching from the U.S. Northeast could bring 10-15 cm of snow Thursday with a changeover to rain by evening as temperatures climb above freezing.

But another storm system will move into the region late Friday and into Saturday with rain changing over to snow.

And early next week could bring yet another storm system.

Winter 2017/18 – Riding a Rollercoaster!

A view of downtown Moncton from city hall, 23 Jan 2018 (City of Moncton)

Meteorological winter 2017/18 is now in the books since the three month period of December, January and February is over but we all know winter is not over yet in Southeast New Brunswick.

What a ride it has been in Greater Moncton with temperatures fluctuating wildly from very mild to extremely cold in just hours and in one case in mere minutes.

Snowfall was lighter compared to normal especially in February but the bigger concern were frequent periods of mixed, icy precipitation such as freezing rain and ice pellets.

WINTER ALMANAC 2017/18 at the Greater Moncton International Airport

Average HIGH  -1.2 C (about 0.9 degrees ABOVE normal)

Average LOW  -11.0 C (about 1 degree ABOVE normal)

AVERAGE  -6.1 C (about 1 degree ABOVE normal)

Extreme HIGH  16.7 C (13 January – highest temperature ever recorded in January)

Extreme LOW  -22.3 C (07 February)

RAINFALL  134.4 mm (about 20 percent ABOVE normal)

SNOWFALL  177.8 cm (about 15 percent BELOW normal)

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)

 

February 2018 – Warm with more rain

Shubenacadie Sam predicted an early spring, 02 Feb 2018 (Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, NS)

The first half of February in Southeast New Brunswick was decidedly winter with frigid overnight lows dropping to a numbing -21 C in the first few days alone.

But the second half of the month was spring-like with most daytime highs above freezing and more tolerable minimums.

The average monthly temperature for Greater Moncton was about 3.2 degrees above normal and anything above 2 degrees is considered significant in meteorology.

Precipitation was slightly above average with more rain than snow falling compared to normal.

FEBRUARY 2018 ALMANAC (at Greater Moncton Int’l Airport, 1981-2010)

Average HIGH  1.0 C

Average LOW  -9.7 C

AVERAGE  -4.4 C (about 3.2 degrees ABOVE normal)

Extreme HIGH  12.9 C (21 Feb)

Extreme LOW  -20.5 C (03 Feb)

RAINFALL  42.0 mm (more than 30 percent ABOVE normal)

SNOWFALL  49.2 cm (about 25 percent BELOW normal)

(Data courtesy Environment Canada)

Escaping a strange winter

The beaches of Varadero, Cuba, 15 February 2018 (Dearing)

Let’s face it, winter in Southeast New Brunswick has been a volatile roller coaster ride with wildly fluctuating temperatures and unusual amounts of mixed precipitation.

I wanted an escape, so a two-week vacation getaway to Cuba was in order.

From 06-20 February, the island’s most popular beach destination of Varadero enjoyed daytime highs in the upper 20s C with glorious sunshine and just a few passing clouds.

Winter is the dry season in Cuba and precipitation was light except for a lengthy downpour of rain during just one early morning.

Varadero has some of the best beaches in the Caribbean and millions of international visitors – mostly Canadians – flock there every year.