Rainfall records broken in Calgary this summer: Environment Canada
Posted Sep 23, 2019 1:53 pm.
Last Updated Sep 24, 2019 6:11 am.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – From cool to dry to stormy and wet, the summer of 2019 had it all for Alberta.
With the first day of fall officially here, Environment Canada looked back at the summer months with some peculiar results.
With astronomical fall arriving today, lets take a look at what this summer was like in Alberta (these statistics will be for June-July-August). The northern half of the province experienced a summer that was a bit cooler than normal. #ABstorm pic.twitter.com/2cQoHtIRJ8
— ECCC Weather Alberta (@ECCCWeatherAB) September 23, 2019
One of the most significant weather stories for Calgary this year was the rain.
“We found on 71 days over the three-month period, it actually rained in Calgary,” said meteorologist Kyle Foujere. “Which set a new record for the most rain days in a Calgary summer in the recorded history that we have.”
The report shows Calgary had 241 millimetres of rain compared to an average of 217 from 1981-2010.
It was northern Alberta however that saw the most substantial amount of rain, with Fort McMurray recording its third-wettest summer on record with 355 millimetres.
The summer of 2019 was wetter than normal for the northern half of Alberta, but drier than normal in the southern part of the province. #Abstorm pic.twitter.com/tE3lBmVPHH
— ECCC Weather Alberta (@ECCCWeatherAB) September 23, 2019
Storms were also a big mover for Alberta with the number of reported tornadoes nearly doubling this summer and the number of hail storms jumping to 112 from the average of 50.
Alberta had an above average number of tornado, severe hail, and severe wind reports in 2019, but fewer than normal reports of heavy rainfall. #Abstorm pic.twitter.com/3e51aR8I2b
— ECCC Weather Alberta (@ECCCWeatherAB) September 23, 2019
With all the crazy weather, you might think Calgary saw cooler temperatures throughout the summer, but Foujere says that wasn’t the case.
“It was very near normal for temperature. This year the mean temperature for the summer was 15 degrees compared to an average of 15.2. Only point-two degrees below.”
Foujere goes on to say Calgary was missing the long stretch of days where temperatures went above 25 degrees.
“In the five years before this summer there was an average of 35 days above 25 degrees, this year there was only 21.”
While Calgary enjoys a relatively warm fall week, Foujere warns changing weather patterns could bring the first snowfall of the season as early as this weekend.
