Ontario experiences warmest December on record
Digital Reporter
Friday, January 1, 2016, 4:22 PM - Canadians coast-to-coast have experienced unseasonable warmth in the past 30 days, to such great degree that Ontario had the warmest December on record.
The ongoing strong El Niño can be attributed to the mild pattern. However, as we move into January arctic air swings through the Great Lakes region, ushering in true winter-like conditions.
"With arctic air in place, we would also expect lake-effect snow squalls to ramp up across the Great Lakes in mid-January. December's mild conditions have left the lake water temperatures quite warm, which would provide prime conditions for some impressive snow bands in favoured areas," The Weather Network meteorologist Michael Carter reports. "Overall the message is to look out for cold and active weather in the east for the middle of the month."
Forecasters continue to watch a significant lake effect snow event that started on New Year's Eve and is expected to continue through the first week of 2016.
But before we head into a cool January, let's bask in the balmy temperature records of December 2015.
The following list shows the mean temperature for the month as well as the old record set in some of the major cities and towns across Ontario.
Windsor
New record of 4.7C
Old record of 3.1C in 2006
Records began in 1940
Hamilton
New record of 3.7C
Old record of 1.6C in 2006
Records began in 1959
Welland
New record of 4.6C
Old record of 2.9C in 2006
Records began in 1872
St. Catharines
New record of 5.0C
Old record of 3.3C in 2006
Records began in 1919
Toronto city
New record of 5.1C
Old record of 3.2C in 2001
Records began in 1840
Toronto Pearson Airport
New record of 4.1C
Old record of 1.9C in 2006
Records began in 1937
Wiarton
New record of 3.1C
Old record of 1.1C in 2006
Records began in 1947
Trenton
New record of 3.9C
Old record of 1.5C in 2006
Record began in 1935
Ottawa
New record of 1.2C
Old record of minus 1.4C in 2001
Records began in 1938
Sudbury
New record of minus 1.3C
Old record of minus 3.7C in 2001
Records began in 1954
Sault Ste. Marie
New record of 0.5C
Old record of minus 1.2C in 1994 and 2001
Records began in 1961
Timmins
New record of minus 4.4C
Old record of minus 5.8C in 1994
Records began in 1955
Kapuskasing
New record of minus 5.4C
Old record of minus 6.6C in 1994
Records began in 1937
Geraldton
New record of minus 7.1C
Old record of minus 7.9C in 2006
Records began in 1981
Thunder Bay
New record of minus 3.4C
Old record of minus 5.1C in 2001
Records began in 1941
Sioux Lookout
New record of minus 7.9C
Old record of minus 8.1C in 1939
Records began in 1938
Kenora
New record of minus 7.1C
Old record of minus 7.2C in both 1997 and 1939
Records began in 1938
Picke Lake
New record of minus 9.8C
Old record of minus 10.7C in 2001
Records began in 1990
