AUGUST 2006 HIGHLIGHTS

AUGUST 2006 HIGHLIGHTS

After the driest July on record in Winnipeg, some much needed rains finally returned during the first two weeks of August. Rainfall was highly variable through the city as slow moving and intense thunderstorms brought locally heavy rainfall to some areas of the city, but missed others. For example at my station in Charleswood, only 39 mm of rain was recorded for the month while areas in St Vital reported 93 to 144 mm during August. The bulk of the rainfall was recorded during two main rain events on the 10^th and 12^th when storms brought local rainfall totals of 50 to 100 mm over central and southern Winnipeg. Drier weather returned over the last half of the month with only two minor rain events on the 25^th and 26^th. There were numerous sunny days making for ideal conditions for outdoor activities.

Officially at Winnipeg airport, 51.0 mm of rain fell during August, still about 25 mm below normal for the month. This made the summer of 2006 the third driest on record in Winnipeg with a seasonal total of 90.5 mm over the 3 month period from June through August. Only the summers of 1929 (76.7 mm) and 1886 (77.2 mm) have been drier in the city since record began in 1873. The 90.5 mm of rain was only 38% of the normal 235 mm that usually falls over the summer in Winnipeg. At my station in Charleswood, conditions were even drier with a rainfall total of only 72 mm over the 3 month summer period.

Temperaturewise, August continued the above normal pattern of the summer with warm temperatures through the month. The monthly mean of 20.1 (19.8 at YWG airport) was about 1.5 degrees above normal, and combined with June and July, made the summer of 2006 the 10^th warmest summer on record in Winnipeg. There were 5 days of 30 degrees or more during August with a maximum of 32C on the 27^th. This brought the summer total of 30 degree days to 23 this year (normal 11 in a summer)

All in all.. a terrific end to a terrific summer..