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CLOUDY NOVEMBER | Startling stats

Major city sets startling record for a sun-starved November


Brett Soderholm
Meteorologist

Friday, November 30, 2018, 12:40 PM - If you haven’t been feeling like yourself lately and can't for the life of you figure out why, it may be because this November has been Toronto’s cloudiest month since December 2014.

With a whopping average cloud cover of 88% during daylight hours at Toronto International Airport,* there have been precious few hours of unobscured sunlight to brighten your day, or your mood.

Combined with below seasonal temperatures, persistent precipitation, and twice the monthly average snowfall recorded, it’s no wonder so many people are already feeling the winter blues.

SEE ALSO: Here's how a lack of sunlight impacts your mood

With little chance of today altering this information for the better, here’s a look at just how bleak this November has been:

Since November 1st at Toronto International Airport (YYZ):

  • 10 days were 100% cloudy (no sun visible at all)
  • 23 days had an average cloud cover of 80% or more
  • November 22nd was the only day cloud cover was below 50% (hope you enjoyed it!)
  • 1 entire hour of daylight was lost as we approach the winter solstice

EVEN VANCOUVER OUTSHINES TORONTO

And if that wasn’t depressing enough, even the notoriously cloudy metropolis of Vancouver managed to outshine Toronto this November, with an average cloud cover of 79%.

Vancouverites even benefitted from five days that could be classified as mainly sunny. 

WINTER IS HERE: How will El Niño shape Canada's upcoming winter? Find out with The Weather Network’s 2019 Winter Forecast | FORECAST & MAPS HERE

SO WHY WAS IT SO CLOUDY?

Even though Toronto only had a handful of days where significant rain or snow fell this November, there were 25 days that recorded at least trace amount of precipitation (drizzle, light rain, or flurries) at Toronto International Airport.



(SHOCKING: This Alaskan town won't see the sun for 65 days)

This largely came from multiple systems passing near or over the region, alongside persistent bands of lake-effect snow – both of which generated significant and persistent cloud cover.

With minimal sunlight to help dry out the ground after this precipitation fell, a negative feedback cycle began: more moisture was available to be evaporated, which formed even more clouds, and made it that much harder for the sun to break through.

WARNING: DECEMBER MAY NOT BE MUCH BETTER

Adding insult to injury, rain is in the forecast to start off December in southern Ontario. This is a sober reminder to not expect too much to change as 2018 draws to a close: November and December are notoriously southern Ontario’s cloudiest months of the year.

WATCH BELOW: RAINY START TO DECEMBER



Nevertheless, remember that we’re all in this together, and take solace in the fact that you really can blame the weather this time for your cloudy mood!

* Toronto was only chosen for its reliable observational data; many cities across southern Ontario experienced similar conditions this November.

WATCH BELOW: HERE'S WHY YOU AND NOVEMBER DON'T GET ALONG


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