It's time for our giant look back at Edmonton's August 2022 weather.
There's all sorts of interesting stuff this month.
August 2022's average High of 26.4°C ranked as 2nd warmest since 1880. It just snuck past 26.3°C from 1915, and 1981 still has the record with 26.8°C.
The average Low of 14.4°C was the 1st warmest, well ahead of 13.5°C from 1998.
High Temperatures
August started a little cool, but after that most of the month was near the top of our range.
Only 7 Highs were below-average, while 24 were above.
That included a new record High of 31.3°C for August 20th, and 4 days were the warmest-in-30-years.
In August we average about 10 Highs of 25°C, and in 2022 we were way up at 21.
In recent years the closest to that was 15, in 1999, 1998 & 1991. We had 6 Highs reach 30°C, which ties 2008.
On the opposite end our coldest High was 14.4°C on August 2nd.
Warm Days So Far
For the summer so far we have had 40 days reach 25°C. That's not unusual.
What is a bit strange is at the end of June we only had 2 (which was a bottom 10 year).
Then from July 1st-August 31st we had 38 (the 3rd most for that period).
For hotter days, we've had 20 days reach 28°C, which is a top-10 year.
And we have had 8 days reach 30°C, which isn't a huge amount, but is more than normal.
Warm Days in a Row
With those hot days we had 11 Highs in-a-row reach 26°C, which is the 3rd longest on record.
We had 18 Highs in-a-row reach 24°C, which is the 4th longest.
And we had 21 Highs in-a-row reach 23°C, which is the 5th longest.
For the Lows we had 12 in-a-row of 14°C or more, which is the 2nd most on record.
And we started and ended the month with streaks of 18 Lows in-a-row of 13°C: ending August 1st, and then again August 27th. Those were both 1 short of the record of 19 days.
Low Temperatures
For August 2022's Lows only 5 were below average, compared to 26 above.
We set 4 new records on August 19th, 20th, 21st & 31st, and had 3 more warmest-in-30-years.
August averages about 10 Lows below 10°C, and 2022 only had 2.
And August also averages about 4 Lows above 15°C, and 2022 was up at 13.
(this chart is ugly because a few really cold days in 1992 skew the colours)
Warm & Cold Months
August 2022's average High of 26.4°C ends up 4.3°C above the 20th century average.
It's a big, orange circle, and the warmest August since 1981.
The average Low of 14.4°C was 4.8°C warmer than the 20th century average, and was our warmest on record.
For the stations around Edmonton with relatively long histories, this was also a warm August:
- #1 warmest Highs for Campsie since records started there in 1916.
- #2 warmest Highs for Stony Plain and #3 for the airport, with their records going back to the 1960s.
The Horserace
At the end of the warm August, so far 2022 ranks as Edmonton's 22nd warmest year overall, and 1.3°C above the 20th century average.
The Highs are the 31st warmest, while the Lows are the 19th.
The red line for the Highs really turned upwards at the start of August.
Across Canada
For August Highs across the country Edmonton & Calgary were the most above-average.
Winnipeg gets yet another cool month, and hasn't been particularly above-average since last November.
For the Lows Edmonton & Calgary were the most above-average.
For January 1st through August 31st St. John's & Halifax are having a top-5 year for Highs.
Most cities are in the top 25~50 range, while Winnipeg is having a bottom-25 year.
For the Lows it ranges from #5 warmest for Calgary to #90 for Toronto.
Just for July-August, Edmonton & St. John's had their 2nd warmest Highs on record, with Halifax as #3.
For Lows Edmonton & Calgary had their #1 warmest July-August, with Vancouver as #2, St. John's as #3, and Halifax as #4.
Hot Days Across Canada
For 30°C days this year Calgary is well above average, and Edmonton is a little above average. Winnipeg is way below their average, while the other cities are all a little low.
Because of Edmonton's hot summer and Winnipeg's cool one, 2022 is one of the rare years where Edmonton has more 30°C days than Winnipeg.
It has happened 7 other times: in 2009, 2008, 1981, 1924, 1896, 1895 & 1884.
Precipitation
August is usually our 3rd rainiest month, averaging 51mm (just ahead of May's 50mm).
August 2022 was a little low, with 43mm in Stony Plain, 39mm at Blatchford, and 34mm at the airport.
The bubbles here are rain events during the summer, and August 2022 was pretty quiet, with just a few 10~15mm storms right at the beginning of the month.
August averages 12 days with precipitation.
In 2022 somehow Blatchford was up at 15 days, while the airport and Stony Plain only had 9 days.
By the end of August we average around 345mm of precipitation for the year.
Blatchford is below that with 327mm, while the Airport and Stony Plain have 367mm and 420mm.
Of all of the local stations South Campus has the least with 258mm.
Precipitation Across Canada
This messy chart has 2022's precipitation for 11 cities.
Saskatoon & Regina are at the bottom.
Next, Edmonton & Calgary are almost tied around 325mm.
At the top Halifax is over 900mm, and St. John's is over 1100mm.
For most of these cities the yearly totals are pretty typical.
The big exceptions are St. John's which is having its 8th wettest year, and Winnipeg which is having its 3rd wettest.
(Saskatoon is low, but it's also missing a bunch of data)
September Weather
For September we still average 10 days at 20°C, including 3 at 25°C.
Since 2000 only 6 Septembers had a High below 5°C.
For Lows, about half of the time September is frost-free, but below-freezing days can start to creep in at the end of the month.
September is starting warm, and 30°C days aren't common, but they do happen.
Since 1880 we've had 25 of them.
Recently 2017 & 2011 each had 1, and 2009 had 3.
1981 was the hot September with 4 30°C days.
