Published Jan 01, 2024 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 1 minute read
People didn’t have to contend with any snow when they were out doing last-minute errands and holiday shopping in Westboro on Saturday, Dec. 23 2023. Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA
A green-grey Christmas, with little to no ice on the waterways, was a hallmark of a mild December, but Ottawa’s weather wasn’t record-breaking.
Gerald Cheng, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the warmest December on record happened in 2015. Then, the average daytime high in the nation’s capital was around 4.3 C.
Article content
Then, like now, was also in the middle of an El Niño, which is a weather episode marked by a change in air currents bringing more warm weather to the eastern region of North America.
Advertisement 2
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.
REGISTER TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.
Article content
This year, though, average daytime highs hovered around 1 C. Typical daytime temperatures around this time of year are closer to -5, Cheng said, with an average daily maximum temperature of -1.9 C.
“It’s been milder than that,” he said in a recent interview. “Much, much milder.”
The mercury peaked around 6.6 C on Boxing Day, for example, “way above average daytime highs.”
Dec. 15 was one of the warmest days of the month, with temperatures climbing to 8.7 C.
But, Cheng added, a few days leading up to the holidays were more seasonal.
And while there was very little snow to speak of on Christmas itself, Ottawa did see some more classic winter weather. The capital recorded its longest consecutive snowfall during the first week in December, when it snowed for more than 55 hours straight. In total, the city has seen nearly 30 cm of snow, and 77.2 mm of precipitation in total, which is in line with typical averages.
“We live day to day, and sometimes only remember the recent past,” Cheng said. “But things have happened this December that were more wintery.”
Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed.
Related Stories
Two drivers fined in road rage incident on Queensway
There were 14 homicides in Ottawa in 2023, slightly lower than 2022
Article content
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : OttawaCitizen – https://ottawacitizen.com/news/december-in-ottawa-was-mild-but-not-record-breaking
