One metre, two extremes: How rain and snow defined fall 2024
Deadly atmospheric rivers, heightened tornadic activity, and a colossal lake-effect event to finish off the season. The three most memorable fall weather events in Canada
As fall transitions into winter, it's time to reflect on the season across Canada—one dominated by extremes. From relentless rainfall to unusual tornadoes, including aggressive lake-effect snow, fall 2024 was anything but ordinary.
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We're highlighting the top three stories that shaped this season for Canadians. While two are fairly typical for fall, one stands out as particularly unusual. Let’s dive in.
Relentless rain
In the past two months, total rainfall amounts have exceeded 800 millimetres for portions of Metro Vancouver, such as Coquitlam. That is more rain than Montreal, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Toronto typically see annually. Nearly a metre of rainfall fell in Prince Rupert this fall, which surprisingly, is pretty close to normal.
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Heavy rainfall defined the season across B.C., as the storm tap refused to shut off–with places like Ucluelet, a small community on western Vancouver Island, receiving over 1 metre of rain. The season began with a Category 5 atmospheric river across Northern B.C., followed by a Category 4 atmospheric river impacting the Lower Mainland in October, causing significant flooding.
Above-normal rainfall
Comox: 461 mm
Ucluelet: 1169 mm
Vancouver (YVR): 465 mm
Normal rainfall
Prince Rupert: 945 mm
Squamish: 732 mm
Abbotsford: 503 mm
Perspective: If all 1169 mm fell as snow, it would amount to 11 metres!
Tornadic activity spins into fall
Severe thunderstorms tumbled well into fall, with wild milder temperatures persisting across much of Canada and 13 confirmed tornadoes, some of which were exceedingly rare.
Notable tornadic events
November 1 - Atlantic Canada, which averages a single tornado per year, recorded three in November on a single day is no small feat. Tornadoes in Harvey, Sheffield, and Church's Corner had peak wind of 150 km/h.
November 4 - British Columbia reported a rare tornado west of Sechelt, with winds of 115 km/h causing tree damage in the area.
November 10 - An EF0 tornado struck Fergus during a late-season thunderstorm event, causing minor roof damage. November tornadoes are rare in Ontario, and only four have been recorded in the past. But this one wasn’t the latest. On December 12, 1946 a tornado occurred in Exeter.
By the numbers: Tornado breakdown by province
British Columbia: 1
Saskatchewan: 2
Ontario: 5
Quebec: 2
New Brunswick: 3
Lake-effect snow in overdrive
Water temperatures were running a record-breaking fever across the Great Lakes, which worked to fuel an early and intense lake-effect event.
Echo Lake exceeded 100 cm before the end of November, marking it a highly significant lake-effect snow event, partially driven by record-breaking warm lake temperatures.
PHOTOS: Unrelenting snow squalls blast Ontario with major totals, impact travel
Honourable mention: Northern lights displays
The extreme activity also extended well above the surface and out of the troposphere. An honourable mention goes to the stunning northern lights display thanks to heightened solar activity, providing a dazzling display for millions of Canadians.
Winter will come with its own set of challenges, so to better prepare you, check out our official winter outlook.
Stay safe, and enjoy the season ahead, Canada.
