Climate Comment for December 2024
limateSubmitted by Bill Caulfeild-Browne
It’s pretty well known that 2024 was the earth’s warmest year in human history and our Saugeen Bruce Peninsula was no exception. The mean temperature here was a whopping 2.7C above the norms of the 20th century. As has been predicted for some time now, the anomalies primarily occur in the winter months. January, February and March averaged 4.6C above “normal.” We may soon have to redefine what normal means.
December marked the sixteenth consecutive month of higher than average temperatures. The last near-normal month was August 2023 – and it was the only exception that year.
Sunshine was largely absent – the least sunny December I have recorded in the last ten years.
Precipitation – defined here as rain plus snow melt – was a little more than average, 79 mm. compared to 60 mm. The first week saw a rain/snow mix but the bombshell occurred on the 29th when Mother Nature gave us 17mm of an icy freezing rain just in time to eradicate much of a white Xmas. There were widespread collisions along with multiple road closures to the east of us, unfortunately resulting in one fatality on Highway 11, which was closed for 19 hours.
Ice conditions on the Great Lakes are a little below normal but expected to pick up in January, as usual. As I write this on January 7th, quite cold weather is forecast, as low as -16C depending on whose crystal ball you trust. The Warning Preparedness Meteorologists of Environment and Climate Change Canada have models that suggest a slightly cooler and drier January is in store for us. But that may mean we’ll see more sunshine which will be very welcome.