Monday, April 28, 2008

Today in weather history

50 years ago today in 1958, an unseasonably strong late season blizzard struck southern MB including Winnipeg, bringing 5 to 10 cm of snow, powerful wind gusts to 100 km/h or more, and record low temperatures. Winnipeg set a record low temperature of -13.3C that day, less than 24 hours after reaching a mild 15C the day before.

In Winnipeg, the cold front pushed through by 2 am that morning, sending temperatures of +4 to below freezing. By 6 am, the temperature was down to -8C and snow started to fall with winds increasing from the northwest. By 10 am, visibilities were down to 400 metres in snow and blowing snow, and temperatures had dropped even further to a record cold -13C. From noon to 4 pm, NW winds of 60 gusting over 80 km/h were giving blizzard conditions with visibilities down to 200 m at best. Temperatures were exceptionally cold, rising to only -11c by 4 pm (some 25 degrees colder than the day before) with windchills of -25 or lower. By 6 pm the blizzard was lifting, with skies clearing by 8 pm.

What a day that must have been! After hitting 15C on the 27th, much of southern MB would be hit with a severe blizzard the following day with almost January like weather. Wind gusts up to 87 km/h were reported in Winnipeg that day, with 100-105 km/h gusts around Portage La Prairie. The afternoon high of -8.3C in Winnipeg is the coldest ever for so late in the year, and is unequaled for its late season severity. I wonder what the forecast was calling for back then, and how did residents cope with such a drastic change in the weather?

11 comments:

  1. Sorry for all the questions Rob...

    I just went to Ambient weather and they said that their prices were so low they couldn't even advertise them at those prices. I emailed them and they sent me a link to a page that quotes the Davis Pro2 wireless station at just under $400!

    My last question is what software/extra items do you need to hook the station to your computer? I see they have this Weather link software available, which is compatible with the station. Is this all you need to hook it up to your computer/website? No additional cables or anything?

    Essentially if you buy the station, with the weather link software you are ready to go if I am not mistaken

    Thank-you.

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  2. I just looked at the GFS for the rest of this week? Is there another winter storm coming starting Thursday and going until Saturday? I see the 850mb temps and they are not warm. Let's get serious? It's May! I don't want a 2004 repeat. We've dodged the Western storm here in Winnipeg and the Eastern Storm this past weekend. I hope we can dodge this one too!

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  3. To clarify that question (above)...

    Does the weatherlink USB logger from Davis include the necessary software to hook the weather station to the internet, or do you need to buy the virtual weather station internet software as well?

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  4. Scott.. Yes, Weatherlink software can generate graphs and data tags to upload real time data to the internet. The graphs and images are fairly basic (see Woodlawn School for an example).. but they do the job. VWS software takes the Weatherlink data and produces slicker looking graphics to display data on the net. Bottom line.. you don't need VWS to get data on the web, but you will definitely need Weatherlink whether you go with VWS or not. VWS does not work without the Weatherlink software.

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  5. Justin.. luckily it looks like this next system will be affecting areas mainly to our south and west.. and even then, it should be mainly a rain event, although snow is definitely possible over higher elevations of western ND and SW Saskatchewan. But I'm with you.. I don't want a repeat of 2004 either. Winters around here are long enough without having to worry about snow in May! It's time to pump up the heat and get those plants growing!

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  6. Under $400?? Wow, I've never seen a price like that on a Davis Pro wireless station.

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  7. Don't look now.. but latest 120 hr GLB takes Dakota low and moves it into NW Ontario on Saturday bringing pcpn and colder air into SE MB and NW Ontario on backside of low. Model grib data indicating 20 cm of snow over extreme SE MB for the second Saturday in a row! At this point, this solution appears to be an outlier with the GFS and ensemble members favouring a track further east giving southern MB a dry weekend. However the fact that the GLB solution is even a possible outcome is a bit disconcerting. Let's hope the GLB trends east with the others!

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  8. The Folks in South Dakota might also be getting their snowiest May on record! That system look like it could produce heavy snow in the Watertown area yet again. Some parts of the Dakotas will receive heavy snow and others only rain. It looks like Watertown will be close to that line, I am sure either way those people won't be too happy!

    Areas in the Black hills look like they are in line for the heaviest snow right snow, although Central South Dakota also have high precipitation values (and cold temperatures) forecast!

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  9. New GLB this morning has abandoned its western track and now takes storm well east into NW Ontario.. missing Southern MB completely, as GFS and ensembles were indicating. Here's hoping it stays that way..

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  10. I was pleased to see the forecast today! The temperature is not forecast to go below 11C for the next five days. Sunny and 17, 14, 11, 17, 19 (The next five highs!). I think Spring in finally thinking about returning!

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  11. Yes, quite the change for Saturday.. Yesterday, the forecast was saying +4C with a chance of flurries. Now it's sunny and 17C. That's what can happen when you put all your eggs in one model!

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