May 2020 Discussion

[Snowstorms]

3 hours ago, mississaugasnow said:

haha I know. Though every summer Toronto generally strings together a few days in the row of 32-34C and humidex values around 40C and above with lows around 23C 

Our criteria for hot here when hearing the weather reports and newscasts is 30C. The 30 year average for 30C or above in Toronto and most of southern Ontario is around 20-24 days a summer which is pretty respectable. Especially within Canada. Only the interior of BC averages more. 

Its all relative and depends what you like. I love those big humid heatwaves where its 25C when you walk out the door at 7am and your drenched in sweat haha. 

I've experienced real humidity when I went to Thailand and dry desert heat when I went to Vegas and Palm Springs, CA. I prefer dry heat, it’s much more tolerable. 

We average 16 days a year at or above 30C. 32C + is not as common either. The lake keeps us cool through-out the summer which is why sometimes you might see clouds sitting overtop the city on those hot summer days as opposed to the countryside. 

Let's look back at a few years to see how many 30C days YYZ recorded.

2019: 13 (1/13 above 32C)

2018: 30 (11/30 above 32C)

2017: 13 (4/13 above 32C)

2016: 38 (18/38 above 32C) <<< about as hot as it gets

2015: 14 (5/14 above 32C)

2014: 7 (1/7 above 32C) << cold summer

2013: 15 (7/15 above 32C)  

Just to give you a perspective of our climate. The summers are not as hot as you think. Most days are 30-32C which isn't even 90F. 

[mississaugasnow]

1 hour ago, Snowstorms said:

I've experienced real humidity when I went to Thailand and dry desert heat when I went to Vegas and Palm Springs, CA. I prefer dry heat, it’s much more tolerable. 

We average 16 days a year at or above 30C. 32C + is not as common either. The lake keeps us cool through-out the summer which is why sometimes you might see clouds sitting overtop the city on those hot summer days as opposed to the countryside. 

Let's look back at a few years to see how many 30C days YYZ recorded.

2019: 13 (1/13 above 32C)

2018: 30 (11/30 above 32C)

2017: 13 (4/13 above 32C)

2016: 38 (18/38 above 32C) <<< about as hot as it gets

2015: 14 (5/14 above 32C)

2014: 7 (1/7 above 32C) << cold summer

2013: 15 (7/15 above 32C)  

Just to give you a perspective of our climate. The summers are not as hot as you think. Most days are 30-32C which isn't even 90F. 

 

I loved the humidity when I was in Thailand haha. I was in Phoenix last summer and didnt really enjoy the heat much. But I also love that feeling of the tropics. Off topic but I was able to sneak in a quick Asia trip in January before covid. Landed in Bangkok January 5th and hung around Thailand for a few weeks before going to Dubai and finally Paris/London. Looking back on 2020 in a few decades it will be weird to say the wife and I did a world tour right when the world pandemic was beginning. 

Back to Toronto and heat, I guess its because of how hot Southern Ontario is compared to almost every other city in Canada. Working in Timmins in mid August and waking up to Temperatures around 0C. Calgary seeing frost and occasional snowstorms in May and September. St.Johns NL barely has a legit summer. Halifax has an okay summer but the average high in July is 23C or 74F. So Toronto seems balmy compared to most of this country. 

 

[Kitchener poster]

10 hours ago, mississaugasnow said:

 

I loved the humidity when I was in Thailand haha. I was in Phoenix last summer and didnt really enjoy the heat much. But I also love that feeling of the tropics. Off topic but I was able to sneak in a quick Asia trip in January before covid. Landed in Bangkok January 5th and hung around Thailand for a few weeks before going to Dubai and finally Paris/London. Looking back on 2020 in a few decades it will be weird to say the wife and I did a world tour right when the world pandemic was beginning. 

Back to Toronto and heat, I guess its because of how hot Southern Ontario is compared to almost every other city in Canada. Working in Timmins in mid August and waking up to Temperatures around 0C. Calgary seeing frost and occasional snowstorms in May and September. St.Johns NL barely has a legit summer. Halifax has an okay summer but the average high in July is 23C or 74F. So Toronto seems balmy compared to most of this country. 

 

I honestly think Montreal has the most desirable weather in CA. Far enough north and far enough east to catch nor’easter traffic. It can be just as warm as Toronto during summer. 

When the winds come from a perfect SW direction the winds pick up humidity from Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawerence river. 

[nwohweather]

I honestly think Montreal has the most desirable weather in CA. Far enough north and far enough east to catch nor’easter traffic. It can be just as warm as Toronto during summer. 
When the winds come from a perfect SW direction the winds pick up humidity from Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawerence river. 

Over Vancouver? I’ve heard that’s considered the best weather in the country.

Growing up we would sail and stay on Pelee Island all the time so considering it’s the southernmost point in Canada that is probably the “best weather”

[Snowstorms]

13 hours ago, mississaugasnow said:

 

I loved the humidity when I was in Thailand haha. I was in Phoenix last summer and didnt really enjoy the heat much. But I also love that feeling of the tropics. Off topic but I was able to sneak in a quick Asia trip in January before covid. Landed in Bangkok January 5th and hung around Thailand for a few weeks before going to Dubai and finally Paris/London. Looking back on 2020 in a few decades it will be weird to say the wife and I did a world tour right when the world pandemic was beginning. 

Back to Toronto and heat, I guess its because of how hot Southern Ontario is compared to almost every other city in Canada. Working in Timmins in mid August and waking up to Temperatures around 0C. Calgary seeing frost and occasional snowstorms in May and September. St.Johns NL barely has a legit summer. Halifax has an okay summer but the average high in July is 23C or 74F. So Toronto seems balmy compared to most of this country. 

 

Thailand was a nice experience. I went to both Bangkok and Phuket but unfortunately missed out on Chiang Mai. I had plans to go to Europe, including Paris, this summer but that all got thrown out because of this virus.  Consider yourself lucky, you got out before things escalated. 

The Prairies can get pretty hot. Some of Canada's hottest temps were recorded out in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Those chinook winds can warm up Calgary even in winter and it's the sunniest city in Canada. Windsor is Canada's real hot spot. For example, just a few days ago it was a balmy 26C (78F) in Windsor but only 15C (60F) in Toronto. That's a 10 degree difference and we're only 365km (225 miles) away. 

I prefer B.C. weather over anything else in Canada. Sure it rains alot in winter, but their summers are beautiful. As the saying goes, the west coast is the best coast. 

[Snowstorms]

1 hour ago, nwohweather said:

Over Vancouver? I’ve heard that’s considered the best weather in the country.

Growing up we would sail and stay on Pelee Island all the time so considering it’s the southernmost point in Canada that is probably the “best weather”

B.C. has the best weather in all of Canada. Check out Vancouver's forecast for this weekend. Mid 70s and sunshine. Can't get much better than that. 

https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-74_metric_e.html

Interior B.C. can get really hot in the summer. 90s and even 100s in JJA. And its predominately dry heat as opposed to our humid heat in the east. 

[madwx]

there's a light at the end of the tunnel.  Starting Wednesday things are looking warmer with higher dewpoints and chances for storms.  Euro shows a high pressure building in after that for a beautiful weekend next weekend with temps in the 60s and 70s

[Hoosier]

It's gotta get better. 

[Hoosier]

Another day of Lake Michigan abusing the shoreline area.

[madwx]

10 degree dew point on May 8th. What a time to be alive 

[NTXYankee]

7 hours ago, madwx said:

there's a light at the end of the tunnel.  Starting Wednesday things are looking warmer with higher dewpoints and chances for storms.  Euro shows a high pressure building in after that for a beautiful weekend next weekend with temps in the 60s and 70s

Are you sure you were looking at the right region?  That extended period of warmer weather doesn’t sound like it was up here.  Had you said two days of nice weather it might sound more believable.

[frostfern]

On 5/6/2020 at 11:09 AM, madwx said:

blowtorch means death ridge, lets get an active pattern with thunderstorms and mild temps

A death ridge in May sometimes means severe storms up north.  May 1998 was hot and stormy in Michigan.  WSW as opposed to SSW upper flow is usually better for the Upper Midwest.  You need a good westerly component off the rockies in the 850-500 hPa layer to get steeper mid-level lapse rates.  Otherwise the best instability is confined to the plains despite good dewpoints (most of May-June 2018).  North-South meandering jet is bad whether it's a ridge or a trough.  Somewhat zonal but displaced north is the best for anywhere north of I-80.  

[frostfern]

On 5/7/2020 at 10:47 PM, mississaugasnow said:

 

I loved the humidity when I was in Thailand haha. I was in Phoenix last summer and didnt really enjoy the heat much. But I also love that feeling of the tropics. Off topic but I was able to sneak in a quick Asia trip in January before covid. Landed in Bangkok January 5th and hung around Thailand for a few weeks before going to Dubai and finally Paris/London. Looking back on 2020 in a few decades it will be weird to say the wife and I did a world tour right when the world pandemic was beginning. 

I've never been to the Asian tropics.  Costa Rica is kind of interesting with gap-wind patterns and micro-climates.

[weatherbo]

I drive through here every week going to the po box in Big Bay.  Yesterday I pulled over and climbed a hill and sat for a while, just appreciating. The freshest air you can imagine.  No social distancing required.

As pretty as it was yesterday tho, it's back to cold, grey, and flurries this morning with a high only in the 30's.  Wind hasn't let up in days it seems.

If there's any moms out there, Happy Mother's day!

 

Even seasonal snow left in the jack pines. 

 

 

[madwx]

it's been a slow climb through the 40s this morning.  Hoping we can at least crack the lower 50s today.  One last chance at a frost tonight before mid/upper 50s tomorrow, lows in the upper 30s tomorrow night and 60s and dews in the 40s on Wednesday

[cyclone77]

Frost advisory was a big bust as widespread cloud cover COC blocked the potential.

[A-L-E-K]

Feels weird being this cold, this late in the day with the sun still shining 

[bowtie`]

11 minutes ago, A-L-E-K said:

Feels weird being this cold, this late in the day with the sun still shining 

I had a knit ski cap and insulated over-alls on to mow the grass today. It is depressing.

[A-L-E-K]

Yeah naso good, getting to the point where it's anomalous enough to be interesting tho

[hawkeye_wx]

We were able to clear out later in the day and warm into the low to mid 50s with light wind.  Tonight is the final night of 30s and Tuesday night is the final night of 40s.  Late spring officially begins Thursday.  I can finally start planting all the annual plants that have been parked inside the garage for days.

[cyclone77]

Despite covering the plants, both my brother and my dad lost 90% of their gardens to the hard freeze last week.  

The farm fields around have started to sprout corn despite the cold weather.  The farmers have had ideal planting conditions this season.  Corn should take off pretty nicely later this week when the near 80 degree warmth arrives.

[LansingWeather]

On 5/10/2020 at 10:35 AM, weatherbo said:

I drive through here every week going to the po box in Big Bay.  Yesterday I pulled over and climbed a hill and sat for a while, just appreciating. The freshest air you can imagine.  No social distancing required.

As pretty as it was yesterday tho, it's back to cold, grey, and flurries this morning with a high only in the 30's.  Wind hasn't let up in days it seems.

If there's any moms out there, Happy Mother's day!

 

Even seasonal snow left in the jack pines. 

 

 

Holy crap, I have been to that exact hill as pic #1. I actually rode my dirt bike to the top lol. Small world!

[weatherbo]

14 hours ago, LansingWeather said:

Holy crap, I have been to that exact hill as pic #1. I actually rode my dirt bike to the top lol. Small world!

Oh cool!   It is a small world.  That's a great area to ride.  

[Spartman]

Yesterday:
 

000
SXUS71 KILN 112316
RERCVG

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
716 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2020

...RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE SET AT CINCINNATI...

A RECORD DAILY LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 49 DEGREES WAS
REPORTED AT THE CINCINNATI NORTHERN KENTUCKY INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT ON MAY 11. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 51 DEGREES WHICH
WAS SET IN 1960.

The last time CVG had a day to fail reach 50 degrees in May was on May 5, 1992. (Followed by the unusually cold and wet summer due to the 1991 Pinatubo eruption)

000
SXUS71 KILN 112323
RERDAY

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
723 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2020

...RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE SET AT DAYTON...

A RECORD DAILY LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 49 DEGREES WAS
REPORTED AT THE DAYTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON MAY 11. THIS
BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 50 DEGREES WHICH WAS SET IN 1966, 1963,
AND 1960.

The last time DAY had a day of failing to reach 50 degrees in May was just 3 years ago on May 5, 2017.

000
SXUS71 KILN 112329
RERCMH

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
729 PM EDT MON MAY 11 2020

...RECORD LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

A RECORD DAILY LOW MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 45 DEGREES WAS REPORTED AT
THE JOHN GLENN COLUMBUS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON MAY 11. THIS BREAKS
THE OLD RECORD OF 46 DEGREES WHICH WAS SET IN 1966.

The last time CMH had a day of failing to reach 50 degrees in May was twice in 2011: May 3, 2011 and May 16, 2011 

Today:

000
SXUS71 KILN 121638
RERCVG

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1238 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2020

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT CINCINNATI...

A RECORD DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE OF 33 DEGREES WAS REPORTED AT THE
CINCINNATI NORTHERN KENTUCKY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 6:33 THIS
MORNING. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 34 DEGREES WHICH WAS
PREVIOUSLY SET IN 1938.

000
SXUS71 KILN 121640
RERDAY

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1240 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2020

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT DAYTON...

A RECORD DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE OF 34 DEGREES WAS REPORTED AT THE
DAYTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 3:51 THIS MORNING. THIS BREAKS THE
OLD RECORD OF 35 DEGREES FOR MAY 12TH WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY SET IN
1996 AND 1938.

000
SXUS71 KILN 121636
RERCMH

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1233 PM EDT TUE MAY 12 2020

...RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE SET AT COLUMBUS...

A RECORD DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE OF 31 DEGREES WAS REPORTED AT THE
JOHN GLENN COLUMBUS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 6:46 THIS MORNING. THIS
BREAKS THE OLD RECORD FOR MAY 12TH OF 35 DEGREES WHICH WAS
PREVIOUSLY SET IN 1976.

 

[madwx]

58/15 here at the moment.  Probably won't see dewpoints this low again until october or november.

[cyclone77]

33 here this AM, but warmed into the middle 60s this afternoon.  The full sun and light winds made it feel like 75 compared to the recent cold spell.

[RogueWaves]

2:35 am hit 27F

[frostfern]

Today feels legitimately warm with full sunshine and light winds even though it's not even 60.  Only nice thing about having a horribly cold early May is 60 degrees still feels somewhat good (so long as the sun is out and it isn't too windy).  Would be nice to live in a place that gets a solid month or two of this kind of weather rather than just a day or two in transition.

[Torchageddon]

Looking at Waterloo Ontario's 7 day, I notice that TWN lowered Sunday and Monday's high temp by 4C and increased the rain. The high will be very close to 20C for Friday and Saturday but if it stays just under then the contest may go to the 20th and even now that high of 24C was lowered to 20 so there is a 2% chance that even in the next 7 days no 20 . 108 years of regional weather data shows the latest first 20ºC reading was May 14th so if the unthinkable happens and it somehow doesn't til after 20th that would beat the record by 6+ days . Considering our climate as of recent decades that would definitely be one of the most absurd "streaks" I've ever seen.

My weather has been pretty great the last few days for sun. Still too cold to enjoy it much. One interesting thing about our first possible 20ºC reading of the year is if its Friday (15th) then it will have occurred during a rainy day.

[wisconsinwx]

3 hours ago, frostfern said:

Today feels legitimately warm with full sunshine and light winds even though it's not even 60.  Only nice thing about having a horribly cold early May is 60 degrees still feels somewhat good (so long as the sun is out and it isn't too windy).  Would be nice to live in a place that gets a solid month or two of this kind of weather rather than just a day or two in transition.

That's what your fall is for (October specifically sees a lot of days like today).  Here it's been quite windy today but despite temps in the upper 50s and the stiff breeze I did not need a jacket to golf today due to wall to wall sunshine.