February 2011 One for the Record Books

Tuesday, March 01, 2011 10:19 AM

Prince George, B.C.- If you want to compare the weather this February to that of February 2010, you will find the two were near opposites.

February 2010 was mild and dry, while February 2011, cold and wet. We set a couple of records in the month that has just ended, and Environment Canada's Jim Steele files this month end report:

The month got off to a mild start with above freezing temperatures between the 3^rd and 5^th, this provided a bit of rain and wet snow. Winter made a brief return between the 6^th and 9^th with temperatures taking a bit of a plunge. Milder air returns once again on the 10^th and hangs around until the middle of the month. This provided the mildest temperatures with a 6 degree maximum on the 14^th. Winter came knocking once again late in the day on the 15^th and managed to hang around right through to the end of the month. The colder period provided the setup for frequent snow e vents. These events cumulated on the 26^th and 27^th with ample pacific moisture riding over the cold arctic air to produce 7 cm late on the 26^th and a whopping 23 cm on the 27^th. The snowfall on the 27^th established a new monthly snowfall record for any single day in February.

Into the record books, brrr, cold and wet.

Temperatures

Average daily high of -5.4 was below the normal of -0.8 degrees C.
Average daily low of -14.4 was below the normal of -10.0 degrees C.
Mean temperature of -9.9 was below the normal -5.4 degrees C.
Warmest Day on the 14^th with a maximum temperature of 6.1 degrees
Coldest day on the 19^th with an overnight minimum of -34.1 degrees

Precipitation

Total precipitation of 62.1 mm was 197% of the normal of 31.4 mm.
Total Snowfall of 80.1 cm was 266% of the normal of 30.1 cm
Total rainfall of 10.4 mm was 144% of the normal of 7.2 mm
Measurable precipitation on 13 days right on the normal of 13 days
Greatest snowfall one day 23.0 cm on the 27^th
Greatest rainfall one day 3.5 mm on the 3^rd

Daily / Monthly Records

· No daily or monthly temperature records were established this month

· Greatest snowfall for 27^th Feb now at 23.0 cm, old record 13.0 cm

· Greatest snowfall in one day for month February 23.0 cm, previous record 22.9

cm in 1954

· Greatest precipitation for Feb 6^th at 12.4 mm, old record 8.4 mm in 1974

Notes.

Total precipitation of the year to date is 112.5 mm, 133% of the normal of 84.1 mm

Records for February

Mean temperature Extreme Daily temps

Mildest 1.3 1991 Max 12.8 27^th 1954

Coolest -14.5 1949 Min -45.0 15^th 1956

Precipitation

Driest 1.6 mm 1993 Wettest day 22.9 mm 12^th 1954

Wettest 87.9 mm 1956 Snowiest day 22.9 cm 12^th 1954****

Most Snow 87.9 cm 1956

South Central Interior

	Mean Temp Degrees C	Total Precip. mm	Maximum Degrees C	Minimum Degrees C
Quesnel	-8.5	16.9	8.2 / 14^th	-29.0 / 19^th
Williams Lake	-9.0	30.0	8.4 / 4^th	-29.0 / 19^th
Blue River	-8.3	82.8	5.6 / 15^th	-30.3 / 25^th
Kamloops	-3.5	14.8	11.2 / 12^th	-16.0 / 25^th

Winter Review (December / January / February)

Temperature

The mean temperature of -8.3 was below the normal of -7.6 degrees C.
Mildest winter mean temperatures -1.3 degrees in winter 1991-92
Coldest winter mean temperature -15.2 degrees in winter 1949-50

Precipitation

Total precipitation of 122.9 mm was 90% of the normal 135.8 mm
Total Rainfall of 21.3 mm was 101% of the normal 20.9 mm
Total snowfall of 151.7 cm was 108% of the normal 140.3 cm.
Greatest winter snowfall 293.3 cm winter 1981-82
Least winter snowfall 58.6 cm winter 1986-87

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Posted on Tuesday, March 01, 2011 10:19 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: He spoke on March 1 2011 10:50 AM

and Terasen gas rubs their hands

Posted by: Junco on March 1 2011 3:44 PM

Wow 151.7cm this year compared to the winter of 81/82 a grand total of 293.3cm Just about double!
How did we survive it?

Posted by: supertech on March 1 2011 10:26 PM

Al Gore: you're a liar.

Posted by: Gary Long on March 1 2011 11:07 PM

Junco. who cares about 81/82? It's 2011 and we just got dumped on for the month of February. It's how the city deals with it now that matters. 81/82 was a long time ago and nobody cares about that anymore.

Posted by: metalman on March 2 2011 11:13 AM

Ahem; I care, and thanks, Junco.
It is useful to compare today's apparently extreme weather with the reality of past years. It puts today's conditions into perspective. I remember (and with those words, one remembers how old he or she is becoming) 81/82, and the fact that I had only a shovel in my snow clearing arsenal,
but luckily a fairly short driveway.
If 293.3 cm. (115") is the actual accumulation reached during that long ago winter, it is but a fart in the wind in comparison to a winter in Prince George in the early 1970's when, if memory serves, a total snowfall in excess of 518 cm. (204")
was reached. So, while the past is past, and probably irrelevant, it is interesting at least, to look back and consider that we once endured far more trying circumstances, in terms of winter.
metalman.

Posted by: Eagleone on March 3 2011 9:07 AM

A short driveway with carport would be nice this time of year. Other than that then its all relative.