Submitted by Bill Caulfeild-Browne
October started out where September left off – warm and sunny. The first five days all exceeded 20C, with the month’s maximum of 24.3C occurring on the 3rd. This was followed by moderate temperatures more typical of Fall, until the last few days. Then we not only got our first frost but our first snowfall.
On the lake we had flirted with frost on the 23rd (0.8C) but it was a real frost inland. Then, on the very last day, we got a taste of winter. The mercury dipped to -0.1C for the first time in the season and a heavy rain/snow mix descended on us. Much of it melted overnight and as November dawned a sunny day, much of it disappeared in a few hours.
The mean temperature for the month was 10.7C, a full 1.7C above normal and thus one of the warmest Octobers we’ve ever had. The downside is that the warmth was caused by predominantly southerly winds which often were accompanied by heavy cloud cover. This was the least sunny October in the last decade. And it rained! While not setting a new record, the 150mm. we got was well above the average 94mm. (2013 doused us with 168mm).
The rest of the Province fared much as we did. Toronto and Ottawa were even warmer, as much 3.2C above normal. Areas south of us were much drier with as little as 60% of normal rainfall while areas to the north had precipitation much like us.
If you’re not happy with the first snow of the season, pity those in Northern Ontario who, on October 7th, saw their first snowfall ushered in by 70kmh winds. My wife and I were returning from a camping trip in Alberta at the time and we were warned that the Chi-Cheemaun might be cancelled. Fortunately it was not and we made it home on time.
Then on October 27th the North got as much as 20 cms of the white stuff accompanied by high winds. This caused closure of the Trans Canada Highway in the Dryden area and power cuts for hundreds of homes. That depression arrived here just in time for Halloween!
Welcome to pre-winter weather!
