13 February 2019

Extreme Snowfall in Ottawa

As I write this, on Tuesday evening, 25-35 cm of snow are forecast before this storm blows itself out.

For perspective:

The greatest daily snowfall in any February in Ottawa, according to records from the Central Experimental Farm, was 45.7 cm on 8 February 1895. The contemporary Ottawa Journal article indicates a belief that such snow storms were routine in earlier times.

The greatest one day snowfall at the Farm was 55.9 cm on 29 January 1894. Many of us remember the 51.2 cm which fell in the storm of 16 February 2016, especially those of us who were at the Heritage Day event at Ottawa City Hall.

One of the greatest multi-day snow storms was 2 - 4 April 1885 with over one metre of snow officially recorded. According to an Ottawa Citizen report it snowed continuously for 60 hours.

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3 comments:

  1. Susan13 February, 2019 08:59

    Thank you John for putting it in perspective!

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  2. Anonymous13 February, 2019 10:25

    Thank you John. Now I've got to go and dig out! Cheers, BT

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  3. Anonymous13 February, 2019 11:24

    Yes, it was an epic journey travelling back from Heritage Day. Good story perhaps to write for grandchildren, even. Mary-Lou may have the best story, though. Perhaps we should have been a special BIFHSGO award for our effort.
    In April 1942? ( after an Easter visit to her sister in Manotick) I was told that my grandmother hitch hiked into Ottawa after a snowstorm to get to her civil service job.

    M. Anne S.

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