Deepwinter 2025-2026 Review

Winter isn't over (our only month to never record snow is July, so is winter every truly over...?). But we should be done with the deep-winter portion of it. So let's take a quick look back at that.

Our average temperatures for November & March mirror each other, as we drop into, and then climb out of, the deepest part of winter. But for December-Feburary things stay pretty flat, with an average High from -3°C to -6°C, and average Low from -12°C to -15°C.

 

For December-February 2025-2026 our temperatures were the 46th warmest on record. That was below 2024-2025 and 2023-2022, but above the two winters before that. Separately the Highs ranked as #42, and Lows as #45.



Across Canada

Across the country it was a warm 3 months in BC, but was really cold in Toronto.

From that long list some of the notable cities were: 

• Kelowna's #3 warmest Dec-Feb (the warmest since 1966) 
• Vancouver's #4 
• Victoria's #5 
• Calgary's #15 
• Toronto's #142 (the coldest since 2014)

Monthly Pie Pieces

Here's the trivia pursuit view, with 2025-2026's blue pie piece for December, while for 2024-2025 it was February. 

Recent winters which were warm for Dec-Feb were 2023-2024, 2019-2020, 2015-2016, 2014-2015 & 2011-2012.

If we want to extend things out a bit to include November-March, 2015-2016 was warm for all 5 months (it was a super El Niño), 

And 2023-2024 and 2011-2012 both got 4 solidly warm months, with 1 average~ish month. 

2010-2011 & 2013-2014 are the standout cold recent winters.



Cold Days

We will probably finish this winter with 25 Lows of -20°C, which is right on average (we narrowly missed a few more, but close doesn't count). 

We got 11 -25°C Lows, which is right on average.

And this winter we didn't get to -30°C (although we did get to -29.5°C on December 28th).

This is the first winter without a -30°C since 2026-2017.

Back in 1998-2003 we actually went over 5 years without reaching -30°C.

Around the neighbourhood the number of -20°C & -25°C Lows this winter was right on average for Stony Plain, the Airport & Campsie.

For -30°C Lows Stony Plain did get one, when it averages around 4.

The airport got 10 and Campsie got 13, both of which are average.



Warm Days

For warm days Blatchford had 35 Highs reach 0°C for Dec-Feb, which is right on average. 

24 of those got to 5°C, which is the 2nd most on record. We average closer to 15. 

4 got to 10°C, which is a lot, but the last two winters also got 3 and 4 of them.

And we always think of the outlying stations as being cold. 

But for 0°C, 5°C & 10°C Highs Stony Plain tied Blatchford. 

The airport is unnaturally cold though.



Snow

Things should start warming up soon, but the snow isn't done with us. On average we get another 28cm of snow after March 15th.

The average date of our final snow is right around the start of May. That average has been consistent for a long time, although from year to year there's a lot of variability.

May averages around 5cm of snow, although lots of years get none, while some years gets lots. 

Recently May 2021 got 9cm, 2015 got 12cm, 2010 got 28cm, and 2003 got 38cm. 

But late snow usually melts off quickly.



Snowdepth

In terms of snow on the ground, we're often snowfree by the end of March or beginning of April.

So in a good year that's two weeks away, but in a bad year it's maybe 4 or 5.