Submitted by Bill Caulfeild-Browne
Regular readers of this column will have noticed my frequent use of the word “record” in the last little while. It seems that many months in the last two or three years have set new records of one sort or another – undoubtedly owing to climate change. This February did not set any new records but it came in second place in a couple of categories.
The first was precipitation. February 2017 holds the record at 115 mm., and this month delivered 82 mm., more than twice our normal of 40 mm. Interestingly it’s the last three Februaries that have seen the most precipitation in the last twenty five years. Is this a new trend?
Of the 82 mm., 17 mm. fell as rain during a brief thaw on the 24th. The rest was snow, as many sore backs will attest. There were only five days when we got no snow.
The second near-record was with to respect wind speeds. 2011 holds the record with a gust of 100 kms/hr. while this February’s maximum was 90 kms/hr., on the 25th. This came at a time of sustained speeds that lasted for nearly two days. The wind, from the WNW, hit 30 kms/hr. early in the morning of the 24th and did not abate until midnight on the 26th., usually running over 45 kms/hr. Highway 6 was closed for the third time in the month – this might be a record for one month! That closure was not as long as the one on the 8th, where virtually every road in Grey-Bruce was closed.
Ironically, the mean temperature was normal, at -6.7C. The warmest days were, naturally, during two thaws we had, rising to 4.8C on the 4th and to 4.1C on the 24th, just before the major storm that brought us the high winds. The lowest temperature hit us in the early morning of the last day of the month, dipping to -18.5C.
Sunshine was at a premium. Only three days were sunny from dawn til dusk, though another six days were sunny for half the time. Wiarton Willie missed them all, I guess, though his prediction may come true. The Weather Network has just issued a forecast of a major pattern reversal in mid-March which promises an abrupt end to winter and a warm spring. Let’s hope they’re right!
