Unusual weather trivia that is hard to google

[wx_statman]

Yeah that's more or less the same method I use...I also utilize the data over at the Utah Climate Center, which is phenomenal but can be difficult to research as only current stations have a useful summary of the values...old stations no longer in operation require searching the monthly data.

 

For Brazil it took me about 5-6 hours at various times to compile the data...I'd like to extend this to other countries with decent data eventually.

 

Ah, I see. That makes sense. I was wondering why you were missing all the readings @ inactive stations. I wish there was a way to search the entire database. 

[wx_statman]

Ah, yeah I see that now. Still, both came 2 weeks later.

 

There were other places in the area that have long climate histories and almost certainly set monthly records.

 

- Byers, CO with a low of -22

- Walsenburg, CO with a high of 7

- the -21 at Limon, CO airport was the coldest November temp recorded at any Limon station, with records back to 1907

- Bailey, CO with a high of 1

 

That's a really impressive reading. I wasn't aware of that one. 

[IbrChris]

I had time to dig around some more -

 

Dunvegan at 21.1C (70F) on 1/29/1931. This airmass brought 65F to downtown Portland. The Pekisko reading from 1906 was also 21.1C. There was a close call @ Altawan with 21.0C (70F) on 1/31/1992. Monthly record of 68F @ Havre, MT on that day as well.

 

The Medicine Hat reading on 5/5/1911 looks a bit suspect, especially when considering all the other high readings from that era @ that station (i.e. Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct records - although I have a fair bit of confidence in the April 1910 and June 1900 readings). Its not out of the realm of possibility as Havre was 91F that day, but I'm not entirely convinced its a legit reading. I haven't found any May readings that exceed Medicine Hat's 37.2C, but I found several 37.0C readings (also rounding to 99F) from May 1986:

 

37.0C @ Alliance South (5/28/1986)

37.0C @ Drumheller City (5/28/1986)

37.0C @ Bellis on 5/20/1986 - suspect reading since it supposedly occurred 8 days earlier. 

 I've thought the Pekisko readings might be overexposed, but the station does lie in the expected area of peak Chinook warming along the foothills in southern Alberta. I agree the Medicine Hat readings may be exaggerated, though if a closed low was moving through the central Rockies with a strong ridge over central Canada (Rex block) it would explain warmer temps in Alberta than at Havre. It is really early in the month for a record high in May.

[IbrChris]

Thanks WxStatman for your efforts...I've made several changes to my file as a result.

Here's some data for Northern Canada (W to E):

Yukon

Jan: 62 Burwash Landing 24/2014; -76 Ogilvie River 5/1975
Feb: 59 Haines Jct 28/1968; -81 Snag 3/1947 (North American record)
Mar: 60 Haines Jct 9/1965; -62 Ogilvie River 6/2004
Apr: 73 Mayo Road 27/1995; -51 Snag 1/1944
May: 97 Forty Mile 30/1983; -23 Shingle Point 16/1965
Jun: 98 Mayo Road 25/2004; 5 Shingle Point 5/1974
Jul: 96 Mayo 20/1951; 20 Shingle Point 27/1957
Aug: 93 Faro 4/1994; 12 Dawson 31/1987
Sep: 82 Mayo Road 1/1993; -15 Beaver Creek 27/1983
Oct: 73 Mayo 3/2003; -42 Ogilvie River 29/1975
Nov: 57 Mayo 2/1970; -65 Braeburn 28/1985
Dec: 62 Haines Jct 22/1999; -72 Mayo 13/1946

Northwest Territories (excluding former portions now part of Nunavut)

Jan: 56 Fort Simpson 3/1985; -75 Fort Resolution 8/1936
Feb: 59 Fort Liard 27/1992; -70 Inuvik 4/1968
Mar: 64 Fort Liard 30/1994; -59 Inuvik 14/1964
Apr: 86 Fort Smith 29/1980; -51 Mould Bay 4/1983
May: 92 Hay River 30/1948; -24 Fort Reliance 10/1962
Jun: 95 Fort Smith 4/1970; 2 Sachs Harbour 5/1978
Jul: 103 Fort Smith 18/1941; 25 Sachs Harbour 29/1994
Aug: 98 Hay River 9/1981; 8 Mould Bay 31/1996
Sep: 89 Fort Smith 6/1951; -15 Mould Bay 28/1965
Oct: 80 Fort Smith 1/1923; -40 Aulavik NP 31/2004
Nov: 59 Hay River 4/1949; -53 Fort Good Hope 29/1948
Dec: 60 Fort Liard 23/1999; -71 Fort Smith 26/1917

 

Nunavut

Jan: 39 Iqaluit 21/1958; -66 Shepherd Bay 20/1975
Feb: 40 Iqaluit 22/1965; -72 Shepherd Bay 12/1973
Mar: 39 Iqaluit 19/1955; -68 Shepherd Bay 18/1965
Apr: 57 Kugluktuk 6/2000; -56 Eureka 8/1964
May: 77 Ennadai Lake 26/1973; -31 Cambridge Bay 13/1935
Jun: 88 Kugluktuk 25/1996; -9 Hall Beach 18/1996
Jul: 95 Kugluktuk 15/1989; 16 Fox Five (Qikiqtarjuaq) 3/1972
Aug: 88 Baker Lake 4/1998; 5 Alert 30/1952
Sep: 80 Ennadai Lake 2/1967; -25 Eureka 25/1961
Oct: 62 Ennadai Lake 1/1957; -43 Eureka 29/1953
Nov: 43 Cape Dyer 3/1985; -55 Eureka 28/1989
Dec: 42 Cape Dyer 17/1967; -65 Hall Beach 16/1986

[snow_wizard]

Thanks WxStatman for your efforts...I've made several changes to my file as a result.

 

Here's some data for Northern Canada (W to E):

 

Yukon

 

Jan: 62 Burwash Landing 24/2014; -76 Ogilvie River 5/1975

Feb: 59 Haines Jct 28/1968; -81 Snag 3/1947 (North American record)

Mar: 60 Haines Jct 9/1965; -62 Ogilvie River 6/2004

Apr: 73 Mayo Road 27/1995; -51 Snag 1/1944

May: 97 Forty Mile 30/1983; -23 Shingle Point 16/1965

Jun: 98 Mayo Road 25/2004; 5 Shingle Point 5/1974

Jul: 96 Mayo 20/1951; 20 Shingle Point 27/1957

Aug: 93 Faro 4/1994; 12 Dawson 31/1987

Sep: 82 Mayo Road 1/1993; -15 Beaver Creek 27/1983

Oct: 73 Mayo 3/2003; -42 Ogilvie River 29/1975

Nov: 57 Mayo 2/1970; -65 Braeburn 28/1985

Dec: 62 Haines Jct 22/1999; -72 Mayo 13/1946

 

Northwest Territories (excluding former portions now part of Nunavut)

 

Jan: 56 Fort Simpson 3/1985; -75 Fort Resolution 8/1936

Feb: 59 Fort Liard 27/1992; -70 Inuvik 4/1968

Mar: 64 Fort Liard 30/1994; -59 Inuvik 14/1964

Apr: 86 Fort Smith 29/1980; -51 Mould Bay 4/1983

May: 92 Hay River 30/1948; -24 Fort Reliance 10/1962

Jun: 95 Fort Smith 4/1970; 2 Sachs Harbour 5/1978

Jul: 103 Fort Smith 18/1941; 25 Sachs Harbour 29/1994

Aug: 98 Hay River 9/1981; 8 Mould Bay 31/1996

Sep: 89 Fort Smith 6/1951; -15 Mould Bay 28/1965

Oct: 80 Fort Smith 1/1923; -40 Aulavik NP 31/2004

Nov: 59 Hay River 4/1949; -53 Fort Good Hope 29/1948

Dec: 60 Fort Liard 23/1999; -71 Fort Smith 26/1917

 

Nunavut

 

Jan: 39 Iqaluit 21/1958; -66 Shepherd Bay 20/1975

Feb: 40 Iqaluit 22/1965; -72 Shepherd Bay 12/1973

Mar: 39 Iqaluit 19/1955; -68 Shepherd Bay 18/1965

Apr: 57 Kugluktuk 6/2000; -56 Eureka 8/1964

May: 77 Ennadai Lake 26/1973; -31 Cambridge Bay 13/1935

Jun: 88 Kugluktuk 25/1996; -9 Hall Beach 18/1996

Jul: 95 Kugluktuk 15/1989; 16 Fox Five (Qikiqtarjuaq) 3/1972

Aug: 88 Baker Lake 4/1998; 5 Alert 30/1952

Sep: 80 Ennadai Lake 2/1967; -25 Eureka 25/1961

Oct: 62 Ennadai Lake 1/1957; -43 Eureka 29/1953

Nov: 43 Cape Dyer 3/1985; -55 Eureka 28/1989

Dec: 42 Cape Dyer 17/1967; -65 Hall Beach 16/1986

 

-56 in April.  Wow!

[wx_statman]

Thanks WxStatman for your efforts...I've made several changes to my file as a result.

 

Here's some data for Northern Canada (W to E):

 

Yukon

 

Jan: 62 Burwash Landing 24/2014; -76 Ogilvie River 5/1975

Feb: 59 Haines Jct 28/1968; -81 Snag 3/1947 (North American record)

Mar: 60 Haines Jct 9/1965; -62 Ogilvie River 6/2004

Apr: 73 Mayo Road 27/1995; -51 Snag 1/1944

May: 97 Forty Mile 30/1983; -23 Shingle Point 16/1965

Jun: 98 Mayo Road 25/2004; 5 Shingle Point 5/1974

Jul: 96 Mayo 20/1951; 20 Shingle Point 27/1957

Aug: 93 Faro 4/1994; 12 Dawson 31/1987

Sep: 82 Mayo Road 1/1993; -15 Beaver Creek 27/1983

Oct: 73 Mayo 3/2003; -42 Ogilvie River 29/1975

Nov: 57 Mayo 2/1970; -65 Braeburn 28/1985

Dec: 62 Haines Jct 22/1999; -72 Mayo 13/1946

 

Northwest Territories (excluding former portions now part of Nunavut)

 

Jan: 56 Fort Simpson 3/1985; -75 Fort Resolution 8/1936

Feb: 59 Fort Liard 27/1992; -70 Inuvik 4/1968

Mar: 64 Fort Liard 30/1994; -59 Inuvik 14/1964

Apr: 86 Fort Smith 29/1980; -51 Mould Bay 4/1983

May: 92 Hay River 30/1948; -24 Fort Reliance 10/1962

Jun: 95 Fort Smith 4/1970; 2 Sachs Harbour 5/1978

Jul: 103 Fort Smith 18/1941; 25 Sachs Harbour 29/1994

Aug: 98 Hay River 9/1981; 8 Mould Bay 31/1996

Sep: 89 Fort Smith 6/1951; -15 Mould Bay 28/1965

Oct: 80 Fort Smith 1/1923; -40 Aulavik NP 31/2004

Nov: 59 Hay River 4/1949; -53 Fort Good Hope 29/1948

Dec: 60 Fort Liard 23/1999; -71 Fort Smith 26/1917

 

Nunavut

 

Jan: 39 Iqaluit 21/1958; -66 Shepherd Bay 20/1975

Feb: 40 Iqaluit 22/1965; -72 Shepherd Bay 12/1973

Mar: 39 Iqaluit 19/1955; -68 Shepherd Bay 18/1965

Apr: 57 Kugluktuk 6/2000; -56 Eureka 8/1964

May: 77 Ennadai Lake 26/1973; -31 Cambridge Bay 13/1935

Jun: 88 Kugluktuk 25/1996; -9 Hall Beach 18/1996

Jul: 95 Kugluktuk 15/1989; 16 Fox Five (Qikiqtarjuaq) 3/1972

Aug: 88 Baker Lake 4/1998; 5 Alert 30/1952

Sep: 80 Ennadai Lake 2/1967; -25 Eureka 25/1961

Oct: 62 Ennadai Lake 1/1957; -43 Eureka 29/1953

Nov: 43 Cape Dyer 3/1985; -55 Eureka 28/1989

Dec: 42 Cape Dyer 17/1967; -65 Hall Beach 16/1986

 

No problem. This stuff is really interesting and its not summarized like this anywhere online. I would dig around even more if I had the time! 

 

That said, I will spend some more time on this today. I'll see if I can add anything. 

[wx_statman]

A few more:

 

-Both Empress and Pollockville, AB reached 41.7C (107F) on 8/5/1961.

 

-"Sugarloaf LO," AB hit 12F on August 22 & 23, 1992.

 

-If the 93F at Medicine Hat, AB on 10/6/1889 is not legit (only an "if" since I haven't looked into it), I've found a 92F reading at "Brooks 1" on 10/3/1943.

 

-Meander River RS, AB hit -38F on 10/31/1984.

[wx_statman]

I think I'll research BC later today, but I'll only give the other provinces a cursory look. Way too time consuming and also less interesting since they're further away from the PNW. 

[Jesse]

Is there anywhere in the world with such dynamic seasonal changes that, in the spring, a record warm month would be colder than a record cold month the following month? Say like March and April or even April and May. The same question goes for the fall, except it would be opposite.

[Front Ranger]

Is there anywhere in the world with such dynamic seasonal changes that, in the spring, a record warm month would be colder than a record cold month the following month? Say like March and April or even April and May. The same question goes for the fall, except it would be opposite.

 

Some parts of interior AK and the Yukon are like that.

 

For example, Eagle, AK: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ak2607

 

Missing some data, but their record warm April is apparently colder than their record cold May.

[Scott]

Is there anywhere in the world with such dynamic seasonal changes that, in the spring, a record warm month would be colder than a record cold month the following month? Say like March and April or even April and May. The same question goes for the fall, except it would be opposite.

 

 

Siberia is like that.  For example, at Verkhoyansk in September, the record low is -7F.  In October the average low is -19F.   By the second week in October, average temperatures exceed that of the records from a few weeks earlier.

 

The temperature drops very dramatically in the fall there.

 

There are the average highs and lows (Fahrenheit) from July to December.  Notice how quickly it drops from September to November:

 

July: 74/50

August:  66/41

September:  47/28

October:  16/-2

November:  -23/-37 

December:  -40/-46

[wx_statman]

British Columbia

Jan: 69 Port Alice & Dawsons Ldg 12/1986; -74 Smith River 31/1947

Feb: 69 Abbotsford 27/1968; -62 Smith River 2/1968

Mar: 75 Barriere 30/1994; -58 Arras 2/1976

Apr: 97 Lillooet 21/1934; -37 Dawson Creek 2/1954

May: 107 Lillooet 30/1936; 2 Sierra 2/1974

Jun: 108 Hedley 27/2015; 21 Whistler Roundhouse 1/1984

Jul: 112 Lillooet; Lytton & Barriere 17/1941; 24 Whistler Roundhouse 13/1984

Aug: 107 Lytton 9/1981; 16 Yoho NP Wapta Lake 12/1975

Sep: 102 Lytton 3/1988; -2 Smith River 26/1951

Oct: 88 Kamloops 6/1980; -35 Yoyo 30/1984

Nov: 74 Lillooet 3/1927; -54 Smith River 24/1955

Dec: 72 Lillooet 3/1933; -63 Puntzi Mountain 29/1968

 

This is what I have for BC. I've bolded the records I was able to update today:

 

JAN: 71 Myra Creek 24/2005; -74 Smith River 31/1947

FEB: 70 Nitinat Rvr Htch 26/1992; -66 Smith River 2/1947

MAR: 81 Stave Falls 29/1923; -58 Arras 2/1976

APR: 97 Lillooet 21/1934; -37 Dawson Creek 2/1954

MAY: 107 Lillooet 30/1936; 0 Muncho Lake 4/2002

JUN: 108 Hedley 27/2015; 19 Big Creek 10/1933

JUL: 112 Lillooet, Lytton & Chinook Cove 17/1941; 22 Alexis Creek 2/1962

AUG: 107 Columbia Gardens 4/1961; 16 Lac La Hache 23/1992 

SEP: 102 McLeese Lake, Williams Lake River 4/1988; -3 Wistaria 22/1926

OCT: 90 Waneta 10/1934; -35 Yoyo 30/1984

NOV: 75 Bull Harbour 2/1962; -54 Smith River 24/1955

DEC: 72 Lillooet 3/1933; -63 Puntzi Mountain 29/1968

 

Notes:

 

-Columbia Gardens reading was 41.7C on 8/4/1961, higher than 41.5C at Lytton and Boston Bar in August 1981. Both round to 107F.

 

-Lac La Hache Dingwall Creek reading was -9.0C on 8/23/1992 (also -9.0C @ Anahim Lake on 8/22/1992). The Yoho NP Wapta Lake reading from August 1975 was -8.9C. Both round to 16F. 

 

-Five different stations hit 39.0C (102F) on September 2-4, 1988. The Lytton reading was 38.7C, also rounding to 102F. I showed the two stations that achieved the reading on 9/4/1988, per standard practice of making most recent records visible in case of a tie. The stations that hit 39.0C on 9/3 are Cowichan Lake and Yale, and Billings on 9/2.

[Scott]

Which US city has the largest diurnal temperature variation?

 

 

Going back to this question, I believe that it would be Reno for a big city, but what about smaller towns and other locations?   Which place would it be?

 

I think Ibapah Utah might be a good candidate:

 

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/983757.JPG

 

Thistle Utah actually beats Ibapah (with an average daily diurnal change of 39.7 degrees; 23.2F to 62.9 annually), but the period of record is much shorter, so it might not count (the entire town of Thistle was wiped out when a landslide dammed the Spanish Fork River in 1983 and created a lake that buried Thistle under 200 feet of water, thus the primary reason why the period of record is so short)!

 

Can any other place beat Ibapah (besides Thistle)?  

[wx_statman]

Manitoba:

Jan: 50 Indian Bay 22/1942; -63 Norway House 9/1899

Feb: 60 Emerson 25/1958; -61 Brochet 18/1966

Mar: 76 Dauphin 24/1993; -56 Bird 10/1963

Apr: 99 Emerson 27/1952; -36 Ruttan Lake 2/1982

May: 106 Emerson & Deloraine 30/1934; -13 Churchill 4/1983

Jun: 108 Brandon & Minnedosa 17/1931; 14 Gillam 2/1977

Jul: 112 Emerson & St Albans 11/1936; 24 Birtle 6/1934

Aug: 106 Starbuck 6/1988; 16 Russell 31/1886

Sep: 103 Starbuck 2/1983; 6 Russell 28/1945

Oct: 92 Altona 1/1992; -25 Brochet 27/1972

Nov: 77 Altona 5/1975; -44 Brochet 27/1966

Dec: 61 Deloraine 3/1925; -60 York Factory 31/1900

 

Ontario

 

Jan: 64 Windsor 25/1950; -73 Iroquois Falls 23/1935

Feb: 69 Windsor 26/2000; -62 Hornepayne 1/1957

Mar: 80 Windsor 30/1986; -50 Crystal Falls 3/1950

Apr: 90 Toronto 22/1842; -37 Central Patricia 6/1972

May: 97 Owen Sound 19/1911; -11 White River 1/1903

Jun: 104 Pickle Lake 19/1933; 10 Hornepayne 2/1919

Jul: 108 Ft Frances 13/1936; 15 Hornepayne 8/1922

Aug: 104 Harrow 6/1918; 19 Hornepayne 29/1922

Sep: 100 Toronto 2/1953; 0 Ft Frances 21/1949

Oct: 90 Windsor 6/1963; -17 Hornepayne 28/1933

Nov: 79 Windsor 1/1950; -47 Emo Radbourne 29/1985

Dec: 68 Toronto 3/1982; -62 Hornepayne 27/1933

 

Quebec

 

Jan: 63 Ormstown 15/1995; -60 Ft McKenzie 19/1946

Feb: 64 Ormstown 22/1981; -66 Doucet 5/1923

Mar: 78 Oka 28/1945; -53 Poste Montagnais 13/1984

Apr: 87 Ste Martine 27/1990; -35 Doucet 1/1923

May: 96 Ville Marie 29/1929; -20 Ft McKenzie 1/1947

Jun: 100 Ville Marie 11/1956; 14 Poste Montagnais 5/1992

Jul: 104 Ville Marie 6/1921; 20 Inukjuak 8/1937

Aug: 98 Ste Martine 2/1975; 23 Fermont 31/1996

Sep: 93 Ormstown 5/1973; 5 Fermont 30/1992

Oct: 85 Ste Martine 2/1968; -9 Poste Montagnais 22/1974

Nov: 75 Oka 8/1938; -35 Poste Montagnais 20/1986

Dec: 68 Ormstown 5/2001; -56 Poste Montagnais 13/1980

 

Saskatchewan

 

Jan: 64 Maple Creek North 22/1981; -67 Butte St Pierre 25/1972

Feb: 67 Maple Creek North 27/1992; -70 Prince Albert 1/1893

Mar: 77 Midale 27/1946; -59 Key Lake 4/1995

Apr: 94 Beechy 29/1939; -41 Carswell Lake 1/1982

May: 105 Cypress Hills 29/1988; -16 Uranium City 4/2002

Jun: 110 Kincaid 5/1988; 18 Waseca 2/1919

Jul: 113 Midale & Yellow Grass 5/1937; 25 Waseca 24/1918

Aug: 110 Maple Creek North 5/1961; 23 Midale 24/1934

Sep: 104 Lost River 4/1940; -4 Cameo 30/1961

Oct: 93 Abbey 1/1957; -22 Val-Marie 29/1991

Nov: 78 Beechy 7/1999; -49 Prince Albert 23/1884

Dec: 69 Aneroid 5/1939; -59 Pilger 28/1917

 

So I took a (relatively) quick look at these provinces, just to see if I can add anything. I want to emphasize that I'm not doing an exhaustive search, and I'm not even cross-checking every month for which you have records already listed (to see if inactive stations were warmer/colder). I'm only doing that for some of the months, which had events that appear more interesting to me. Its entirely subjective, and there's plenty of room for further research here. I'm really only looking at events (warm and cold) that I'm already familiar with from research in previous years, most of which produced anomalous readings in adjacent parts of the US that I can easily cross reference. I suggest you do the same at some point if you're truly interested in expanding your database, above and beyond what I'm able to provide. 

 

Manitoba:

 

-Boissevain hit 54F in January 1944 (MSP had a 58/42 day). 55F at Wilson Creek Weir CS in January 1981 (MN state record of 69F for Jan also in 1981).

 

-Readings of 61F at Pine River and Swan River 2 in February 1992. 

 

-Significantly warmer readings for March than what you have listed, and from multiple other months. This was the case with BC for March as well, where I listed 81F at Stave Falls in 1923 (searched because downtown Portland hit 82F) but also March 1930 hit 80F at Alberni Beaver Creek (searched because downtown Portland hit 83F), two different stations hit 80F in March 2004, and there were other events that brought upper 70's that your data dump appears to have missed, including three different stations @ 79F in March 1994. For Manitoba, the great March heat wave of 1910 (which was referenced quite a bit during the "Summer in March" heat wave of 2012) brought maximum readings of 83F to Morden and 80F to St. Albans (also MN state record for March of 88F). March 1946 produced 77F readings at two different stations, as did March 2012 (Hodgson 2 and Pinawa WNRE in the case of 2012). I just want to be clear that I'm not ragging on your method and I appreciate the work that you've done, I'm mostly lamenting the fact that there isn't a more comprehensive data dump available. At least not publicly available on the internet. 

 

-I'm not sure about the Bird reading on 3/10/1963. Possibly bogus. Next lowest temp that month in MB was -40F. March 1972 brought -55F to Thompson and the reading is much better corroborated, with three other stations at -49F or lower. 

 

-May 1934 maximum was 108F at Morden CDA. 

 

-August 1988 maximum @ Starbuck was 107F not 106F (41.5C). 

 

-November 1999 hit 78F at Plum Coulee. 

 

-November 1985 hit -45F at Boggy Creek. I'm sure the real record for November would have been set in 1896 but there just wasn't enough station coverage in MB to capture it, especially in the typically colder areas up north. There were only two stations above 53N operating in MB in November 1896, and none above 54N. As it was, Brandon (a southerly town that's typically nowhere near the coldest location in the province) bottomed out at -41F that month. And on that note, this is actually a problem with most of the monthly extreme minimum records that you, myself, or anyone else will try to come up with. The majority will skew towards the present since there weren't enough (or in some cases, any) stations in the colder, more remote areas of each province in question to capture the colder airmasses of the past, in any given month. Even the records that we do have from some of those earlier events (like the August 1886 record in MB, for example), are most likely not representative of the actual coldest readings in the province that month - which of course wouldn't have been captured due to lack of stations.

 

-Three different stations hit 64F in December 1939, which of course set numerous monthly state records across the northern tier of the US as well.

 

Saskatchewan:

 

-Cypress Hills hit 66F in January 2003. 

 

-Prince Albert also hit -55.0C (-67F) in January 1886, the same cold wave that brought -57F to Edmonton (all time record low there which was tied in 1893, when Prince Albert hit -70F). January 1916 is a good candidate for a possible provincial record for the month (if we had more station coverage), as two different stations hit -65F in Saskatchewan. Also Camp Crook, SD hit -57F on 1/12/1916 which was the state record low until McIntosh hit -58F in February 1936.

 

-February 1992 maximum was 71F at Golden Prairie.

 

-March 1910 was warmer in SK as well. Maximum of 85F at Muenster, although that reading looks suspect. The next warmest reading was 79F, set at three different stations. Leader Airport hit 80F in March 2004. If we discount the Muenster reading from 1910, then the Leader reading from 2004 is the preliminary record.

 

-I wouldn't be surprised if the real record low for March was set somewhere in 1897, in an area where no stations existed. Glasgow, MT hit -45F on the 12th. Moose Jaw and Indian Head both hit -48F in SK, but both are southern towns and nowhere near the coldest areas of the province. There were only three stations above 52N operating in SK that month.

 

-April 1939 maximum was 96F at Rosetown.

 

-June 1919 minimum was 15F at Macklin.

 

-Illerbrun hit 95F in October 1943.

 

-Willow Creek hit -25F in October 1935. October 1919 is a possibility as well since three different stations hit -22F in SK, and even Bismarck, ND hit -10F. 

 

-November 1999 maximum was 79F at Lake Alma and Stewart Valley.

 

-December 1939 maximum was 72F at Illerbrun.

 

-December 1917 minimum was -61F at Fond du Lac (59N). A rare example of a station existing in the far north 100 years ago, similar to Fort Vermilion in Alberta. Fond du Lac also hit -60F in December 1933. 

 

Ontario and Quebec:

 

I'm going to be even less systematic here. Just a very cursory look:

 

-January 1950 had significantly warmer readings in Ontario. Five stations above 20C/68F, with a maximum of 72F at Niagara Falls.

 

-Another station in Windsor, ON hit 72F in February 2000, which was the highest reading that month in the province. 

 

-March 2012 brought 84F to both Chatsworth and Ravenscliffe, ON.

 

-Atikokan, ON hit -52F in March 1943.

 

-It would be pretty obnoxious if 90F in Toronto from all the way back in 1842 was the Ontario record for April. I cross referenced Alpena, MI and saw that they hit 90F on 4/25/1990 and 4/16/2002. Checking ON numbers reveals a 92F at Pembroke in 2002 and three different stations at 91F in 1990. I'm sure a more comprehensive search would reveal even higher April readings on the books in Ontario.

 

-December 1982 had numerous warmer readings in Ontario. Six stations above 22C/72F, with a maximum of 73F at "Hamilton Municipal Lab."

 

-January 1995 produced 66F at St. Come de Liniere, QC. Impressive thaw that also brought 66F to Burlington, VT, their monthly record.

 

-January 1982 produced -62F at Riviere Kinojevis, QC.

 

-March 2012 brought 82F to Luskville and Sheenboro, QC.

 

-Sheenboro, QC also hit an incredible 94F in April 1976 (when Providence, RI hit 98F). However this reading is a bit suspect since the next highest maximum in the province that month was 88F. April 2002 also brought 90F to Charteris and Shawville, QC (when Central Park hit 96F to match its April record from 1976, a record that looked untouchable).

 

-August 1975 (possibly the greatest heat wave on record in this part of North America) produced significantly higher readings in Quebec. Three different stations hit 40C/104F and numerous stations over 100F. August 1935 (possibly the greatest heat wave on record in the Maritimes) deserves a special mention since it occurred mid-month and brought 103F to Chicoutimi, QC.

 

-September 1953 (102F in Central Park and 100F in Boston) brought 95F to three different stations in Quebec.

 

-November 1950 (84F in Central Park and 81F in Chicago-O'Hare) produced 77F at Coaticook, QC.

 

-December 2001 highest maximum was 70F at Hemmingford, QC. 

 

-December 1933 also produced -56F at Doucet, QC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wx_statman]

Iroquois Falls supposedly recorded a -68F twice in February; once in 1899 and once in 1934 (both were well known extreme cold snaps that also affected the USA).   The 1899 reading was before the town was incorporated.   The 1934 reading was taken at a different weather station than the present one at Iroquois Falls. That's interesting information. The Wikipedia page for Iroquois Falls says as much, but I'm not sure how reliable that data is. I don't have any way to verify the 1899 reading, although we can surmise that its possible given the historic nature of the February 1899 cold wave in the US. The February 1934 cold wave is also well known in the Northeast US, but the lowest reading at the official Iroquois Falls station that month was only -44F.   

 

I also have an old weather almanac (Times Books World Weather Guide) that says the record high for Ottawa in September is 102F.  Unfortunately, it doesn't give a year.   I don't know if the reading is accurate (it may not be), but it might be worth seeing if WxStatman can find it. Environment Canada has 100F as the September record for Ottawa, on 9/11/1944.

 

 

The same old almanac mentioned above gives the following monthly extremes at Churchill:

 

May:  -14F

June: 13F

July:  22F

November:  -53F

 

Also, I checked and the latest edition (2011, 12th edition) of The Weather Almanac also has these same readings.

 

Maybe WxStatman can find the dates for the readings. I don't know where these numbers came from. Environment Canada doesn't have them for Churchill Airport (1943-present). The July and November numbers look beyond that area's capabilities. There was another station called Churchill Marine (1929-1951) but it appears to have run even warmer than the airport. Perhaps these numbers are from a different, older station in the area that was located further away from the water (or wasn't properly sited, who knows).

 

 

 

These aren't official records, but since you are interested in Peter Sinks, you might be interested in them.  According to Chris Burt, two weather stations near Fort Nelson recorded a -96F and a -92F on January 7 1982 in a frost hollow.   The stations were there as part of a permafrost study. I'm aware of that study as well.

 

PS, we should do the US states as well.  I know there are a lot of questions and errors on those ones. Its just not practical. The only way I could see something like this getting done would be if someone allocated a significant amount of time for this project, and was paid for it. It would literally be a full time contract job for someone (Maybe for 6 months? Maybe for a year?) - to property vet and cross reference every single monthly record for every state in the US. It took me three weeks just to vet the Oregon numbers back in 2009. I'm guessing someone with the proper training and databasing experience could have done it quicker, but its still no easy task.

 

I added my comments/replies in red. Figured it was easier doing it that way. 

[wx_statman]

Thanks WxStatman for your efforts...I've made several changes to my file as a result.

 

Here's some data for Northern Canada (W to E):

 

Yukon

 

Jan: 62 Burwash Landing 24/2014; -76 Ogilvie River 5/1975

Feb: 59 Haines Jct 28/1968; -81 Snag 3/1947 (North American record)

Mar: 60 Haines Jct 9/1965; -62 Ogilvie River 6/2004

Apr: 73 Mayo Road 27/1995; -51 Snag 1/1944

May: 97 Forty Mile 30/1983; -23 Shingle Point 16/1965

Jun: 98 Mayo Road 25/2004; 5 Shingle Point 5/1974

Jul: 96 Mayo 20/1951; 20 Shingle Point 27/1957

Aug: 93 Faro 4/1994; 12 Dawson 31/1987

Sep: 82 Mayo Road 1/1993; -15 Beaver Creek 27/1983

Oct: 73 Mayo 3/2003; -42 Ogilvie River 29/1975

Nov: 57 Mayo 2/1970; -65 Braeburn 28/1985

Dec: 62 Haines Jct 22/1999; -72 Mayo 13/1946

 

Northwest Territories (excluding former portions now part of Nunavut)

 

Jan: 56 Fort Simpson 3/1985; -75 Fort Resolution 8/1936

Feb: 59 Fort Liard 27/1992; -70 Inuvik 4/1968

Mar: 64 Fort Liard 30/1994; -59 Inuvik 14/1964

Apr: 86 Fort Smith 29/1980; -51 Mould Bay 4/1983

May: 92 Hay River 30/1948; -24 Fort Reliance 10/1962

Jun: 95 Fort Smith 4/1970; 2 Sachs Harbour 5/1978

Jul: 103 Fort Smith 18/1941; 25 Sachs Harbour 29/1994

Aug: 98 Hay River 9/1981; 8 Mould Bay 31/1996

Sep: 89 Fort Smith 6/1951; -15 Mould Bay 28/1965

Oct: 80 Fort Smith 1/1923; -40 Aulavik NP 31/2004

Nov: 59 Hay River 4/1949; -53 Fort Good Hope 29/1948

Dec: 60 Fort Liard 23/1999; -71 Fort Smith 26/1917

 

Nunavut

 

Jan: 39 Iqaluit 21/1958; -66 Shepherd Bay 20/1975

Feb: 40 Iqaluit 22/1965; -72 Shepherd Bay 12/1973

Mar: 39 Iqaluit 19/1955; -68 Shepherd Bay 18/1965

Apr: 57 Kugluktuk 6/2000; -56 Eureka 8/1964

May: 77 Ennadai Lake 26/1973; -31 Cambridge Bay 13/1935

Jun: 88 Kugluktuk 25/1996; -9 Hall Beach 18/1996

Jul: 95 Kugluktuk 15/1989; 16 Fox Five (Qikiqtarjuaq) 3/1972

Aug: 88 Baker Lake 4/1998; 5 Alert 30/1952

Sep: 80 Ennadai Lake 2/1967; -25 Eureka 25/1961

Oct: 62 Ennadai Lake 1/1957; -43 Eureka 29/1953

Nov: 43 Cape Dyer 3/1985; -55 Eureka 28/1989

Dec: 42 Cape Dyer 17/1967; -65 Hall Beach 16/1986

 

That's an incredible reading at Burwash in January 2014! It looks legit too since there were actually two stations in Burwash that hit 16.5C (62F). Also 58F at Otter Falls and 56F at Haines Junction. I have no doubt that this was the warmest January airmass in Yukon history. Even otherwise notable January thaws in 1981 and 2009 only topped out in the low 50's in YT.

 

January 2014 also produced what appear to be the highest readings on record for the Northwest Territories for that month. I see maximum readings of 59F at Fort Liard and 58F at Yohin.

[wx_statman]

Thanks WxStatman for your efforts...I've made several changes to my file as a result.

 

Here's some data for Northern Canada (W to E):

 

Yukon

 

Jan: 62 Burwash Landing 24/2014; -76 Ogilvie River 5/1975

Feb: 59 Haines Jct 28/1968; -81 Snag 3/1947 (North American record)

Mar: 60 Haines Jct 9/1965; -62 Ogilvie River 6/2004

Apr: 73 Mayo Road 27/1995; -51 Snag 1/1944

May: 97 Forty Mile 30/1983; -23 Shingle Point 16/1965

Jun: 98 Mayo Road 25/2004; 5 Shingle Point 5/1974

Jul: 96 Mayo 20/1951; 20 Shingle Point 27/1957

Aug: 93 Faro 4/1994; 12 Dawson 31/1987

Sep: 82 Mayo Road 1/1993; -15 Beaver Creek 27/1983

Oct: 73 Mayo 3/2003; -42 Ogilvie River 29/1975

Nov: 57 Mayo 2/1970; -65 Braeburn 28/1985

Dec: 62 Haines Jct 22/1999; -72 Mayo 13/1946

 

Northwest Territories (excluding former portions now part of Nunavut)

 

Jan: 56 Fort Simpson 3/1985; -75 Fort Resolution 8/1936

Feb: 59 Fort Liard 27/1992; -70 Inuvik 4/1968

Mar: 64 Fort Liard 30/1994; -59 Inuvik 14/1964

Apr: 86 Fort Smith 29/1980; -51 Mould Bay 4/1983

May: 92 Hay River 30/1948; -24 Fort Reliance 10/1962

Jun: 95 Fort Smith 4/1970; 2 Sachs Harbour 5/1978

Jul: 103 Fort Smith 18/1941; 25 Sachs Harbour 29/1994

Aug: 98 Hay River 9/1981; 8 Mould Bay 31/1996

Sep: 89 Fort Smith 6/1951; -15 Mould Bay 28/1965

Oct: 80 Fort Smith 1/1923; -40 Aulavik NP 31/2004

Nov: 59 Hay River 4/1949; -53 Fort Good Hope 29/1948

Dec: 60 Fort Liard 23/1999; -71 Fort Smith 26/1917

 

Nunavut

 

Jan: 39 Iqaluit 21/1958; -66 Shepherd Bay 20/1975

Feb: 40 Iqaluit 22/1965; -72 Shepherd Bay 12/1973

Mar: 39 Iqaluit 19/1955; -68 Shepherd Bay 18/1965

Apr: 57 Kugluktuk 6/2000; -56 Eureka 8/1964

May: 77 Ennadai Lake 26/1973; -31 Cambridge Bay 13/1935

Jun: 88 Kugluktuk 25/1996; -9 Hall Beach 18/1996

Jul: 95 Kugluktuk 15/1989; 16 Fox Five (Qikiqtarjuaq) 3/1972

Aug: 88 Baker Lake 4/1998; 5 Alert 30/1952

Sep: 80 Ennadai Lake 2/1967; -25 Eureka 25/1961

Oct: 62 Ennadai Lake 1/1957; -43 Eureka 29/1953

Nov: 43 Cape Dyer 3/1985; -55 Eureka 28/1989

Dec: 42 Cape Dyer 17/1967; -65 Hall Beach 16/1986

 

I've had a chance to take a look at the rest of these. Again, not comprehensive by any means:

 

-Snag, YT hit -76F in January 1947. Coldest readings from January 1975 are -75F at Old Crow and Ross River.

 

-One has to wonder how cold January 1906 and January 1934 were in the cold spots of the YT. January 1906 produced -69F at Whitehorse, against a modern day record of -62F in 1947. Copper Center, AK hit -74F and they're in an area of south-central AK which is not known for producing -70F readings. January 1934 brought -78F to Fort Yukon but there were only two stations reporting from the YT that month - Mayo (-69F) and Dawson (-66F). 

 

-Ogilvie River, YT actually reported -66F on 3/26/2004. I have a really hard time believing that reading. There was a record cold wave underway in the Alaskan interior in late March 2004, producing some of the latest -40F readings on record. But -66F is a different story. Out of 1951, 1956, 1971, and 1972 - four historic March cold waves in that part of the continent - only one produced a -60F reading in YT, at Snag in 1951. And that was early in the month. 

 

-April 2003 (74F at Juneau) produced 75F readings at Carmacks and Swift River, YT. 

 

-October 2003 brought 75F to Carmacks, YT. I remember this heat wave really well since numerous monthly records were broken in Alaska, some by more than 10 degrees. Dry Creek hit 76F which was discussed at the time as a possible new state record for the month (previous 74F at Goose Bay in 1969) but I don't know if its ever been authenticated. Chalkyitsik RAWS hit 75F near the Arctic Circle on 10/2/2003, in a region where the historic ceiling for October appears to otherwise be in the low-mid 60's.

 

-The December 21-23, 1999 thaw was incredible, as evidenced by the 62F at Haines Junction and 60F at Fort Liard. I remember this event really well also as it brought readings into the low to mid 50's in interior AK. Completely unprecedented warmth for what's generally considered to be the dead of winter. A major cold wave developed a week later and produced -72F in Chicken, the Alaska state record low for December. Fairbanks saw its lowest maximum since January 1975 (-47F) and had to cancel their millennial fireworks display because of the cold. 

 

-I'm willing to bet that the real YT monthly record for December would have been set in 1917 had there been adequate station coverage. Fort Smith, Northwest Territories hit -71F as you have noted. Gulkana, AK hit -65F which is their all-time record low (tied in 1947). 

 

-Interesting find with the -75F reading at Fort Resolution, NT in January 1936. I've never seen that reading referenced anywhere but it does appear to be the official low at Fort Resolution that month. The raw data supports it. I've only ever seen -71F at Fort Smith in December 1917 referenced as the official record for NT, along with an apocryphal report of -79F at Fort Good Hope on 12/31/1910. The actual data shows -67F at Fort Good Hope that month, although Fort Vermilion, AB did hit -78F two weeks later.

 

-The 103F reading at Fort Smith in July 1941 is amazing. I've long considered that reading to be one of the most impressive anywhere in North America. Its one of numerous eye-popping records that makes me consider July 1941 as perhaps the greatest heat wave of all-time for western North America, when considering overall effects in the PNW, BC, AB and adjacent parts.

 

-February 1973 brought historic cold temperatures to far eastern Canada, to complement the historic cold seen on the west coast earlier that winter. In addition to -72F at Shepherd Bay, Nunavut, the coldest readings on record for Labrador also occurred this month. Both the manned observation record low for Newfoundland & Labrador (-54F at Wabush Lake) and the automated sensor record low (-60F at Esker 2) were set in February 1973. That's how I remember the data being presented when I read it (can't remember where), and both values appear in the Environment Canada database. Shepherd Bay also dropped to -71F in February 1979.

 

-The -31F at Cambridge Bay, Nunavut on May 13, 1935 is very suspect. 

 

-Where did you find the Hall Beach reading from June 1996? It looks impossible. In fact, the lowest temperature for Hall Beach that month shows as -9.8C (14F), and the lowest in all of Nunavut for that month as -13C (9F) at Clyde. Those numbers are much more plausible for June in the high Arctic.

 

-Another amazing record is the 95F at Kugluktuk in July 1989. That reading has been on my radar for a while as possibly the highest temperature ever recorded along the Arctic Ocean, and definitely so in North America. I just don't know how legit that reading really is though. That month did set a number of other all-time record highs in the region (including 92F at Baker Lake), so there's some corroboration there. On the flip side the Baker Lake reading is the second hottest that month in Nunavut, and its further south and much further inland than Kugluktuk...thus casting doubt on the 95F reading.

 

-I have a feeling that quite a few of the monthly maximums you have listed for Nunavut have been exceeded in recent decades. There's been a tremendous amount of warming in that region since the mid-20th century, especially during the winter season. Some readings I'm aware of that exceed those you have listed include 42F at Iqaluit on 2/27/2006, 40F at Ennadai Lake on 3/31/2004, and 45F at Qikiqtarjuak on 12/3/2010. I haven't researched 2011-2016 either since that would require manually going through every month. Environment Canada hasn't updated their extremes tables since 2010 (they have an annoying habit of doing so only once per decade), so I don't have any data to quickly cross reference to find "target months." There's a decent chance that, given the trend, at least some of those monthly benchmarks have been challenged and possibly exceeded in the last five years as well.

[Scott]

Going back to this question, I believe that it would be Reno for a big city, but what about smaller towns and other locations?   Which place would it be?

 

I think Ibapah Utah might be a good candidate:

 

 

Thistle Utah actually beats Ibapah (with an average daily diurnal change of 39.7 degrees; 23.2F to 62.9 annually), but the period of record is much shorter, so it might not count (the entire town of Thistle was wiped out when a landslide dammed the Spanish Fork River in 1983 and created a lake that buried Thistle under 200 feet of water, thus the primary reason why the period of record is so short)!

 

Can any other place beat Ibapah (besides Thistle)?  

 

I did find one more location that gives Ibapah a run for the money, but the period of record is shorter:

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/984436.JPG

[Scott]

 Perhaps these numbers are from a different, older station in the area that was located further away from the water (or wasn't properly sited, who knows).

 

 

I would assume that the station was properly sited since the other record readings aren't out of the ordinary, but I don't know if the -53F is legitimate or when it was recorded (that reading is also colder than the February, March, and December record lows in those two almanacs).   I was hoping that you might be able to find it since I couldn't.  

 

Of interest though, the same old almanac that has the low November reading for Churchill also has a really low one for Arctic Bay.  As with Churchill, the November record for Arctic Bay is listed as lower than the December record.  I don't know if the -53F is legitimate, but it does seem that the region was hit by a severe November cold wave sometime prior to 1943.

 

 

PS, we should do the US states as well.  I know there are a lot of questions and errors on those ones. Its just not practical. The only way I could see something like this getting done would be if someone allocated a significant amount of time for this project, and was paid for it. It would literally be a full time contract job for someone (Maybe for 6 months? Maybe for a year?) - to property vet and cross reference every single monthly record for every state in the US. It took me three weeks just to vet the Oregon numbers back in 2009. I'm guessing someone with the proper training and databasing experience could have done it quicker, but its still no easy task.

 

 

Maybe so.  I do know of several errors with the Utah, California, and Colorado records, but not so much the other states.  

[wx_statman]

I would assume that the station was properly sited since the other record readings aren't out of the ordinary, but I don't know if the -53F is legitimate or when it was recorded (that reading is also colder than the February, March, and December record lows in those two almanacs).   I was hoping that you might be able to find it since I couldn't.  

 

Of interest though, the same old almanac that has the low November reading for Churchill also has a really low one for Arctic Bay.  As with Churchill, the November record for Arctic Bay is listed as lower than the December record.  I don't know if the -53F is legitimate, but it does seem that the region was hit by a severe November cold wave sometime prior to 1943.

 

 

 

 

Maybe so.  I do know of several errors with the Utah, California, and Colorado records, but not so much the other states.  

 

You're absolutely right that a lot of those Infoplease tables are full of junk data. I'm sure suspect readings, errors, and omissions are present in all 50 states on that website. The only question is how many.

[wx_statman]

Scott, if you're interested - 

 

http://theweatherforums.com/archive/index.php?/topic/26854-oregons-temperature-extremes/

 

This is a post I made in 2009 detailing my research of Oregon monthly extremes. Note how many of the records I found to be most likely bogus.

 

A couple updates since I made that post - thanks to IbrChris for identifying 99F at Echo on 4/28/1926 as the most likely record for that month. I had missed that value in my research. I now consider the 102F at Marble Creek from April 1906 to be a bogus reading, I had been on the fence about it in 2009 and decided to include it. I also now know for a fact that the Pendleton reading from August 1898 is bogus, information that I didn't have when I made the post. It was not a direct measurement but an extrapolated reading.

 

Also, a number of the state-wide seasonal benchmarks have been tied/broken since I made that post - i.e. -33F in Seneca on 2/27/2011, 105F in Riddle on 9/22/2009, 94F in Roseburg on 4/8/2016, and maybe others?

[wx_statman]

Scott, if you're interested - 

 

http://theweatherforums.com/archive/index.php?/topic/26854-oregons-temperature-extremes/

 

This is a post I made in 2009 detailing my research of Oregon monthly extremes. Note how many of the records I found to be most likely bogus.

 

A couple updates since I made that post - thanks to IbrChris for identifying 99F at Echo on 4/28/1926 as the most likely record for that month. I had missed that value in my research. I now consider the 102F at Marble Creek from April 1906 to be a bogus reading, I had been on the fence about it in 2009 and decided to include it. I also now know for a fact that the Pendleton reading from August 1898 is bogus, information that I didn't have when I made the post. It was not a direct measurement but an extrapolated reading.

 

Also, a number of the state-wide seasonal benchmarks have been tied/broken since I made that post - i.e. -33F in Seneca on 2/27/2011, 105F in Riddle on 9/22/2009, 94F in Roseburg on 4/8/2016, and maybe others?

 

I knew I was forgetting something. "The Poplars" hit -37F on 12/8/2013.

[IbrChris]

I knew I was forgetting something. "The Poplars" hit -37F on 12/8/2013.

Horse Ridge RAWS hit -40 in the Dec 2013 outbreak...first -40 reading in Oregon post-2000 to my knowledge. I've seen the station itself on Google Street View and the siting appears good.

[IbrChris]

I've had a chance to take a look at the rest of these. Again, not comprehensive by any means:

 

-Snag, YT hit -76F in January 1947. Coldest readings from January 1975 are -75F at Old Crow and Ross River.

 

-One has to wonder how cold January 1906 and January 1934 were in the cold spots of the YT. January 1906 produced -69F at Whitehorse, against a modern day record of -62F in 1947. Copper Center, AK hit -74F and they're in an area of south-central AK which is not known for producing -70F readings. January 1934 brought -78F to Fort Yukon but there were only two stations reporting from the YT that month - Mayo (-69F) and Dawson (-66F). 

 

-Ogilvie River, YT actually reported -66F on 3/26/2004. I have a really hard time believing that reading. There was a record cold wave underway in the Alaskan interior in late March 2004, producing some of the latest -40F readings on record. But -66F is a different story. Out of 1951, 1956, 1971, and 1972 - four historic March cold waves in that part of the continent - only one produced a -60F reading in YT, at Snag in 1951. And that was early in the month. 

 

-April 2003 (74F at Juneau) produced 75F readings at Carmacks and Swift River, YT. 

 

-October 2003 brought 75F to Carmacks, YT. I remember this heat wave really well since numerous monthly records were broken in Alaska, some by more than 10 degrees. Dry Creek hit 76F which was discussed at the time as a possible new state record for the month (previous 74F at Goose Bay in 1969) but I don't know if its ever been authenticated. Chalkyitsik RAWS hit 75F near the Arctic Circle on 10/2/2003, in a region where the historic ceiling for October appears to otherwise be in the low-mid 60's.

 

-The December 21-23, 1999 thaw was incredible, as evidenced by the 62F at Haines Junction and 60F at Fort Liard. I remember this event really well also as it brought readings into the low to mid 50's in interior AK. Completely unprecedented warmth for what's generally considered to be the dead of winter. A major cold wave developed a week later and produced -72F in Chicken, the Alaska state record low for December. Fairbanks saw its lowest maximum since January 1975 (-47F) and had to cancel their millennial fireworks display because of the cold. 

 

-I'm willing to bet that the real YT monthly record for December would have been set in 1917 had there been adequate station coverage. Fort Smith, Northwest Territories hit -71F as you have noted. Gulkana, AK hit -65F which is their all-time record low (tied in 1947). 

 

-Interesting find with the -75F reading at Fort Resolution, NT in January 1936. I've never seen that reading referenced anywhere but it does appear to be the official low at Fort Resolution that month. The raw data supports it. I've only ever seen -71F at Fort Smith in December 1917 referenced as the official record for NT, along with an apocryphal report of -79F at Fort Good Hope on 12/31/1910. The actual data shows -67F at Fort Good Hope that month, although Fort Vermilion, AB did hit -78F two weeks later.

 

-The 103F reading at Fort Smith in July 1941 is amazing. I've long considered that reading to be one of the most impressive anywhere in North America. Its one of numerous eye-popping records that makes me consider July 1941 as perhaps the greatest heat wave of all-time for western North America, when considering overall effects in the PNW, BC, AB and adjacent parts.

 

-February 1973 brought historic cold temperatures to far eastern Canada, to complement the historic cold seen on the west coast earlier that winter. In addition to -72F at Shepherd Bay, Nunavut, the coldest readings on record for Labrador also occurred this month. Both the manned observation record low for Newfoundland & Labrador (-54F at Wabush Lake) and the automated sensor record low (-60F at Esker 2) were set in February 1973. That's how I remember the data being presented when I read it (can't remember where), and both values appear in the Environment Canada database. Shepherd Bay also dropped to -71F in February 1979.

 

-The -31F at Cambridge Bay, Nunavut on May 13, 1935 is very suspect. 

 

-Where did you find the Hall Beach reading from June 1996? It looks impossible. In fact, the lowest temperature for Hall Beach that month shows as -9.8C (14F), and the lowest in all of Nunavut for that month as -13C (9F) at Clyde. Those numbers are much more plausible for June in the high Arctic.

 

-Another amazing record is the 95F at Kugluktuk in July 1989. That reading has been on my radar for a while as possibly the highest temperature ever recorded along the Arctic Ocean, and definitely so in North America. I just don't know how legit that reading really is though. That month did set a number of other all-time record highs in the region (including 92F at Baker Lake), so there's some corroboration there. On the flip side the Baker Lake reading is the second hottest that month in Nunavut, and its further south and much further inland than Kugluktuk...thus casting doubt on the 95F reading.

 

-I have a feeling that quite a few of the monthly maximums you have listed for Nunavut have been exceeded in recent decades. There's been a tremendous amount of warming in that region since the mid-20th century, especially during the winter season. Some readings I'm aware of that exceed those you have listed include 42F at Iqaluit on 2/27/2006, 40F at Ennadai Lake on 3/31/2004, and 45F at Qikiqtarjuak on 12/3/2010. I haven't researched 2011-2016 either since that would require manually going through every month. Environment Canada hasn't updated their extremes tables since 2010 (they have an annoying habit of doing so only once per decade), so I don't have any data to quickly cross reference to find "target months." There's a decent chance that, given the trend, at least some of those monthly benchmarks have been challenged and possibly exceeded in the last five years as well.

 

Indeed I didn't make an exhaustive search, mostly limiting myself to the records shown in the "normals" data tables for each province...which as you mention only go through 2010. Sites like Snag that don't have a normals table I tended to gloss over unless they were an extreme cold spot for the province.

 

Hall Beach, NU is certainly an error...not sure how it crept in. June record min is -5 F (-20.6c) on 6/1/1972.

 

For May a low of -24 F (-31.1c) at Hall Beach on 5/6/1970.

 

There's not a lot of data for Nunavut stations in May 1935...but Coppermine fell to -28.9c on May 13th (same morning Cambridge Bay was allegedly -35.0 c). Cambridge Bay is slightly farther north and quite a bit farther east (433 km distance from Coppermine/Kugluktuk). Given that all other stations with data are much more distant...I would rate the reading "plausible" but not necessarily accurate. The stations over toward Baffin Island were mostly in the minus teens Celsius that morning.

 

The May record at Coppermine is -30.2c on 5/3/1983. There was also a -29.0c at Taloyoak on 5/5/1993. Resolute hit -29.4c on 5/4/1961.

 

Environment Canada ranked Isachsen, Nunavut the overall least hospitable location in Canada with a meteorological station. Of course the absolute least hospitable location is likely the upper elevations of the Mt Logan/Mt St Elias massif in Yukon/Alaska.

 

 

[IbrChris]

Canadian snowfall records (calendar day, month and Aug-July year)...all values in inches.

Alberta - 1 day: 32.0" at Coleman 11/18/1946; month: 112.8" at Columbia Icefield 1/1973; year: 420.4" at Columbia Icefield 1973-74.
British Columbia - 1 day: 57.0" at Tahtsa Lake West 2/11/1999; month: 271.5" at Mt Washington Resort 2/1999; year: 963.0" at Revelstoke Mt Copeland 1971-72.
Manitoba - 1 day: 29.9" at Virden 4/19/1992; month: 46.6 at York Factory 4/1914; year: 236.3" at York Factory 1913-14.
New Brunswick - 1 day: 32.7" at Moncton 2/1/1992; month: 98.0" at Moncton 2/1992; year: not researched yet
Newfoundland & Labrador - 1 day: 41.3" at Main Brook 2/5/1988; month: 102.5" at Nain 1/1970 (possible 122.4" at Hopedale 2/2015 but derived from precip and 10:1 ratio). Year: 339.4" at Nain 1984-85.
Northwest Territories - 1 day: 19.2" at Yohin 1/26/2001; month: 60.6" at Tungsten 10/1978; year: 210.2" at Tungsten 1985-86.
Nova Scotia - 1 day: 27.6" at Wreck Cove Brook 1/21/1998 and at Middle Musquodoboit 2/8/1981; month: 88.0" at Cheticamp 3/1961; year: 255.0" at Cheticamp 1964-65
Nunavut - 1 day: 31.7" at Cape Dyer 5/16/1975; month: 93.1" at Cape Dyer 10/1966; year: 391.5" at Cape Dyer 1978-79
Ontario - 1 day: 33.9" at Cochrane 3/19/1983; month: 111.2" at Owen Sound 12/1985; year: 255.0" at Owen Sound 1898-99
Prince Edward Island - 1 day: 29.1" at Charlottetown 2/19/2004; month: 87.7" at Charlottetown 2/2015; year: 207.0" at Charlottetown 1881-82
Quebec - 1 day: 48.0" at Cap Madeleine 3/20/1885; month: 106.5" at Cap Madeleine 1/1956; year: 332.7" at Foret Montmorency 1976-77
Saskatchewan - 1 day: 24.0" at Lac La Ronge 3/24/1979; month: 52.4" at Collins Bay 11/1988; year: 138.2" at Cypress Hills 1981-82
Yukon - 1 day: 26.5" at Haines Jct 10/30/1949; month: 42.1" at Swift River 10/1997; year: 165.9" at Swift River 1978-79

1 day values are official Environment Canada records; monthly and seasonal totals come from station data and may not be absolute records for the provinces.

The most impressive values IMO are across the Maritimes where sea-level snowfall at Nain can rival Valdez, Alaska on occasion. Coastal Newfoundland gets a lot of onshore flow, wintertime precip and general year-round storminess courtesy of the Icelandic low. Cape Dyer in Nunavut is both the wettest and snowiest location in Nunavut (not surprising), as well as the snowiest location north of 65 N latitude in North America, and lies on the extreme eastern tip of Baffin Island. Cape Dyer also receives predominant onshore flow (some variant of easterly).


 

[Scott]

Alberta - 1 day: 32.0" at Coleman 11/18/1946;

 

 

The record for Alberta should be 44.0" at the Livingstone Fire Lookout Station on June 29 1963.   At the time it was a record for all of Canada (though you pointing out a 48.0" at Cap Madeleine 3/20/1885 seems to dispute this). It is a well known event (especially since it was almost July!), even if it isn't on the Environment Canada website (I believe it is still an official record though).

 

Some sources on the June 29 1963 event:

 

https://www.google.com/search?espv=2&rlz=1C1AOHY_enUS708US708&q=alberta+snow+record+Livingstone+june+29+1963&nirf=alberta+snow+record+Livingston+june+29+1963&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtrJbj-dDPAhVEy2MKHcbYA88Q8BYIHCgB&biw=1440&bih=809

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

(Which reminds me of another good weather trivia question:

 

Which city in the lower 48 has had its snowiest month of the year in August?)

[IbrChris]

The record for Alberta should be 44.0" at the Livingstone Fire Lookout Station on June 29 1963.   At the time it was a record for all of Canada (though you pointing out a 48.0" at Cap Madeleine 3/20/1885 seems to dispute this). It is a well known event (especially since it was almost July!), even if it isn't on the Environment Canada website (I believe it is still an official record though).

 

Some sources on the June 29 1963 event:

 

https://www.google.com/search?espv=2&rlz=1C1AOHY_enUS708US708&q=alberta+snow+record+Livingstone+june+29+1963&nirf=alberta+snow+record+Livingston+june+29+1963&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtrJbj-dDPAhVEy2MKHcbYA88Q8BYIHCgB&biw=1440&bih=809

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

(Which reminds me of another good weather trivia question:

 

Which city in the lower 48 has had its snowiest month of the year in August?)

Nice find. Yes I didn't find that record on the Environment Canada official values. It was apparently beat on Jan 17, 1974 when Lakelse Lake, BC recorded 46.4" of snow.

 

Pleasant Camp, BC recorded 50.0" on Dec 4, 1985

Tahtsa Lake West, BC recorded 57.0" on Feb 11, 1999

 

The Cap Madeleine value may be apocryphal but it can be found in the existing station records online.

 

Your trivia question is pretty perplexing...but I would guess somewhere in MT or CO? Maybe Great Falls or Cut Bank, MT?

[IbrChris]

Sugarloaf Lookout in extreme southern Alberta recorded 33.6 cm of snow in July 1993 (very cool summer for the northern Rockies in the US as well), including 28.6 cm two-day total on 11th-12th. In fact the winter weather in mid-summer was so dominant that year they closed operations at the fire lookout on July 15th.

[IbrChris]

One of the greatest sea-level monthly snowfalls on record in Canada is probably the 289.6 cm (114") recorded at Swanson Bay, BC in January 1909. 201" for the 1909 calendar year.

Not to be outdone Jan 1911 had 331 cm of snow at the same location (130").

Swanson Bay also saw a 3 day total of 533.4 mm (21") of precipitation from Nov 17-19, 1917. It rained every day that month for a total of 88.01", the Canadian monthly precip record.

[Scott]

Maybe Great Falls or Cut Bank, MT?

 

 

Yes, Great Falls.   August was the snowiest month of the year for 1992.   It may have been true for some other Montana locations as well (but not Cutbank).

 

 

(very cool summer for the northern Rockies in the US as well), including 28.6 cm two-day total on 11th-12th. In fact the winter weather in mid-summer was so dominant that year they closed operations at the fire lookout on July 15th.

 

 

Yes, and even the Southern US Rockies as well.   Several 4th of July fireworks displays in Colorado had to be canceled because of the snow.   New Mexico got snow as well.  

 

Around Salt Lake City (where I was living at the time), it snowed down to 7000 feet twice in July, once on the 4th and once late in the month.   It was the coldest July on record.   My wife and I went to the Tetons for our honeymoon and there was still lots of snow in the mountains in Mid August.  

[wx_statman]

Horse Ridge RAWS hit -40 in the Dec 2013 outbreak...first -40 reading in Oregon post-2000 to my knowledge. I've seen the station itself on Google Street View and the siting appears good.

 

Wasn't it -41F? For some reason Horse Ridge doesn't show up on the list of RAWS stations at the WRCC, so I can't double check.

 

But either way, I was only talking about official readings. 

[wx_statman]

Indeed I didn't make an exhaustive search, mostly limiting myself to the records shown in the "normals" data tables for each province...which as you mention only go through 2010. Sites like Snag that don't have a normals table I tended to gloss over unless they were an extreme cold spot for the province.

 

Hall Beach, NU is certainly an error...not sure how it crept in. June record min is -5 F (-20.6c) on 6/1/1972.

 

For May a low of -24 F (-31.1c) at Hall Beach on 5/6/1970.

 

There's not a lot of data for Nunavut stations in May 1935...but Coppermine fell to -28.9c on May 13th (same morning Cambridge Bay was allegedly -35.0 c). Cambridge Bay is slightly farther north and quite a bit farther east (433 km distance from Coppermine/Kugluktuk). Given that all other stations with data are much more distant...I would rate the reading "plausible" but not necessarily accurate. The stations over toward Baffin Island were mostly in the minus teens Celsius that morning.

 

The May record at Coppermine is -30.2c on 5/3/1983. There was also a -29.0c at Taloyoak on 5/5/1993. Resolute hit -29.4c on 5/4/1961.

 

Environment Canada ranked Isachsen, Nunavut the overall least hospitable location in Canada with a meteorological station. Of course the absolute least hospitable location is likely the upper elevations of the Mt Logan/Mt St Elias massif in Yukon/Alaska.

 

 

 

Interesting info about May 1935. Maybe the Cambridge Bay reading is legit after all. It just doesn't seem realistic.

 

I saw a few May records right around -31C when I was poking around. I think at three stations? The Hall Beach one that you listed from 1970 was one of them. Also a few records right around -20C for June but none lower. At least from what I saw. 

[wx_statman]

British Columbia - 1 day: 57.0" at Tahtsa Lake West 2/11/1999

 

That was a tremendous onshore-flow snowfall pattern for BC, fed by the record breaking cold airmass ongoing in AK at the time. The Simon Fraser University campus in Burnaby @ 1,200' also set its February single-day snowfall record in that pattern with 49cm (19.3") on 2/9/1999, on the same day Bettles AK was -64F to set a late season record. The cold air was dropping straight south out of Alaska and over the NPac, and was still cold enough for snow even after an entirely over-water trajectory before reaching the PNW. Even down here in Portland we had snow showers on a gusty south wind. 

[wx_statman]

Nova Scotia - 1 day: 27.6" at Wreck Cove Brook 1/21/1998 

Prince Edward Island - 1 day: 29.1" at Charlottetown 2/19/2004; 

 

Yarmouth, NS had 28.0" on 2/19/2004, during "White Juan" 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Juan

 

The wikipedia article mentions 37.6" @ CFB Shearwater. The daily data @ Environment Canada shows 88.3 cm (34.8") at "Shearwater A" station on 2/19/2004. This may very well be the official record for NS.

[wx_statman]

The record for Alberta should be 44.0" at the Livingstone Fire Lookout Station on June 29 1963.   At the time it was a record for all of Canada (though you pointing out a 48.0" at Cap Madeleine 3/20/1885 seems to dispute this). It is a well known event (especially since it was almost July!), even if it isn't on the Environment Canada website (I believe it is still an official record though).

 

Some sources on the June 29 1963 event:

 

https://www.google.com/search?espv=2&rlz=1C1AOHY_enUS708US708&q=alberta+snow+record+Livingstone+june+29+1963&nirf=alberta+snow+record+Livingston+june+29+1963&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtrJbj-dDPAhVEy2MKHcbYA88Q8BYIHCgB&biw=1440&bih=809

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

(Which reminds me of another good weather trivia question:

 

Which city in the lower 48 has had its snowiest month of the year in August?)

 

1963 was a cold summer here in the PNW, with possible influences of the VEI-5 eruption of Mount Agung in Bali on March 17th that year. 

 

That's an amazing snowfall record. 44" on June 29th! 

[wx_statman]

One of the greatest sea-level monthly snowfalls on record in Canada is probably the 289.6 cm (114") recorded at Swanson Bay, BC in January 1909. 201" for the 1909 calendar year.

 

Not to be outdone Jan 1911 had 331 cm of snow at the same location (130").

 

Swanson Bay also saw a 3 day total of 533.4 mm (21") of precipitation from Nov 17-19, 1917. It rained every day that month for a total of 88.01", the Canadian monthly precip record.

 

Those are some amazing numbers. 

 

Both January 1909 and 1911 had incredible cold waves in lower BC with tremendous Fraser outflow. Sub-zero highs in both months in the Fraser Valley. 

[IbrChris]

Unfortunately the Swanson Bay station closed in 1942 and the post office closed in 1943. The townsite is now a ghost town along the central BC coast south of Prince Rupert, accessible only by boat. A remote weather station at the location would be very interesting. During the 1907-1942 period the station was in operation it never superseded Henderson Lake for record annual precip, but it does lay claim to several BC monthly precip records.

[Scott]

Another trivia question:

 

What is the largest city in the world in which permanent snow and/or glaciers are visible from the city?

[wx_statman]

Another trivia question:

 

What is the largest city in the world in which permanent snow and/or glaciers are visible from the city?

 

Tokyo?

[Brennan]

What town in the U.S. has the highest annual precip average to have surpassed that average before in a single day?

Kihei, Maui