Warmest Winter on Record for Southern Ontario and Southern Quebec Most of Canada Remains Very Dry

Ottawa, March 7, 2002 - This winter was the warmest on record for Southern Ontario and Southern Quebec, according to Environment Canada weather experts. The rest of Canada also saw unusually mild temperatures this winter, making this the 19th consecutive season above normal since the summer of 1997. Environment Canada records for the months of December, January and February indicate that:

    * The winter in Southern Ontario and Southern Quebec was the warmest since national records began in 1948. The average temperature was 4.8°C above normal, an amazing departure from average conditions.
    * Toronto's winter was unprecedented, the warmest by far that the city has seen since city records began in 1840. The average winter temperature was above freezing (+1.3°C) and 4.7°C above normal. There were a total of 72 days with daily highs above the freezing mark.
    * In Montreal, the winter was also exceptional. The average temperature was the warmest in more than 60 years (-3.3°C), 5.4°C above normal. For the first time since records began in 1941, the overnight lows did not reach the -20°C mark. The number of days with highs above freezing reached 51, an unprecedented number.
    * Throughout Southern Ontario and Southern Quebec, many other cities also experienced their warmest winter on record, including Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Windsor, Québec City, Val D'Or and Bagotville.
    * Most of Canada was drier than normal, especially the Prairies, Southern Ontario, Southern Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Central Alberta was the driest area, receiving less than half the normal precipitation. In Southern Alberta, Southwestern Saskatchewan and Southern Manitoba, the water equivalent of the snow cover on the ground, as of March 1, was less than 50% of normal. If the low snow cover conditions persist in these areas, there will be very little runoff produced at spring melt, which could be a concern for agriculture.

Although it is understandable that many people welcomed the mild temperatures in much of Canada this year, the warmer winters which we have seen in recent years are already raising many concerns. Pests and diseases, which are normally kept in check by lengthy cold spells, are multiplying in some areas. In BC, the mountain pine beetle is spreading rapidly and threatening forests. Lyme disease, which is carried by ticks, is becoming more common in the northeastern U.S. In Canada's far north, the warm temperatures caused lengthy delays in the opening of winter ice roads, the only land access to many remote communities. This dramatically increased the costs of consumer goods in these areas in the early winter. The winter tourism and mining industries have also suffered.

Because weather conditions can vary greatly from one year to the next due to natural variability, it is difficult to attribute the unusual weather experienced so far this winter to a specific cause. However, in many respects, these conditions and associated impacts are consistent with what scientists predict will happen more frequently as the world becomes warmer as a result of climate change. In fact, the very warm conditions observed in southern Ontario and Quebec during the past three months may be a harbinger of what future winters in this region will be like 50 years from now.

The above analysis is based on winter conditions for Canada for the months of December, January and February. It should be noted that winter-like conditions can continue into March. Severe snow storms have occurred on occasion throughout Canada in March, or even April.