Ryan Snoddon - CBC Newfoundland & Labrador

CBC News Navigation

Weather

Summer 2012 vs Summer 2013- The Breakdown

October 9, 2013 3:00 PM

Hey Folks,

Your friends, family, co-workers, pretty much everyone will tell you that the Summer of 2012 was one of the best ever in NL. And the numbers back it up. We had a record number of days with temperatures 20 or warmer, rainfall totals were at or below normal. It was fantastic.

So how do you think 2013 compared? Overall, most seem to think it was another great Summer. We had plenty of record breaking temperatures and Sunny days and if you're a fan of the humidity, than you couldn't have asked for anything more!

I've looked at the months of June, July, August & September and compared the average daytime highs, the number of 20+ days, the amount of rainfall & how many days we had with NO rain.

LONG STORY SHORT

Temperature wise across NL, July and August actually held up well vs 2012. Temperatures were once again warmer than normal in 2013 and the number of 20+ days weren't too far off the mark in those months either. In some cases we actually had more 20+ and 25+ days than last year in July or August. However, where 2013 just couldn't compare to 2012 was in June and even into September. As we noted last year, Summer 2012 was impressive for it's longevity more than it's record breaking warmth and that's where 2013 didn't quite stack up.

Let's have a look at the numbers...

ST. JOHN'S & EASTERN NEWFOUNDLAND

Temperatures

Numbers wise, 2012 certainly jumps out as the better Summer in St. John's with 16 more days with temperatures of 20 or warmer. However 2013 might be remembered more for its selection of REALLY nice days.

Perhaps the most interesting temperature stat, is that our daytime high from June to September averaged out almost exactly the same from this Summer to last, despite the fewer days at 20+. Our much warmer June (+2 warmer in 2013 than in 2012) and another fantastic July were the main factors in keeping pace with last Summer.
This past July 2013, when it was hot, it was really HOT! We had 11 days where the temperature reached 25+, compared to only 8 last year. We also had the 2nd warmest day EVER recorded at YYT at 31.2. St. John's hottest day in 17 years!

In August, highs averaged nearly 2 cooler than last Summer, however we still had 19 days at 20+, compared to 24 days last year. So again, some of our warmest days were really warm.

September 2012 was a tough act to follow, being the warmest on record at YYT with an average high of 19.5. However we had another beauty in 2013. YYT recorded 10 days of 20+ and 2 days at 25+ for an average daytime high of 18.5. True, that's a full degree cooler than last Summer, however still good enough for the 4th warmest September on record at YYT!

Temperature wise, we've certainly had back to back beauties in St. John's.

Humidity

The last two Summers have also been unbelievably humid. In 2012 we set a new record with 101 hours with a sticky dewpoint of 20+, which shattered the previous record of 75 hours back in 1989. We'll this Summer was unprecedented, with a record smashing 163 hours with a sticky dewpoint of 20+. July was the stickiest month of Summer with 95 hours alone!

Wondering what the heck the dewpoint is? Check this out.

Rainfall

If there is one thing that really sets apart 2012 from 2013, it's rainfall. YYT recorded DOUBLE the rainfall this Summer compared to last. 290 mm vs 583 mm. The average is somewhere right in the middle, or about 430 mm for the June to September period. So last Summer was drier than normal and this Summer was certainly wet in terms rainfall amounts. However the other really interesting stat for St. John's, is the number of rain free days. We had 46 days without rain in each of the past 2 Summers. So in 2013, when it rained, it poured! This ties right into our greater number of tropical air masses and record dewpoint hours!

------------

GANDER & CENTRAL NEWFOUNDLAND

Temperatures

In Central Newfoundland, 2012 also takes the prize for the warmer Summer overall. June, July, August and September were all slightly cooler than last Summer how July-Aug-Sept all finished warmer than average. The number of 20+ days in 2012 vs 2013 were fairly similar in July at 28 vs 26.
This past August, YQX recorded 25 days of 20 or warmer, which was more than the 22 days last August. June was the biggest difference, as 2013 had just half the amount of 20+ days than June of 2012 and September 2013 trailed behind last year as well.

Rainfall

This Summer was also much wetter in Central. An extra 150+ mm than last Summer and 10 less dry days. August was the wettest month with 193 mm of Rainfall (including 126 in one shot on Aug 30th), following by September with 179 mm, both months and the Summer as a whole, finished well above the 362 mm average.

----------

DEER LAKE & WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND

Temperatures

When looking at daytime highs, the Summer of 2013 on the West Coast averaged -1.6 cooler than the Summer of 2012, with the largest difference again, in the month of June. This past June was 3.7 cooler than June of 2012 and we had only 8 days at 20+, compared to 20 days last year. A huge difference.

July was spectacular again, keeping pace with 2012 and much like Central, the Deer Lake airport recorded more 20+ days (28) in August 2013 than in August of 2012 (23). September 2013 highs averaged about 2 cooler and there were 7 less days of 20+ than last year.

Rainfall

Unlike in Central & Eastern Newfoundland, the Deer Lake airport, actually recorded less ainfall this past Summer than Summer of 2012. Though the Rain Free days were similar at 46 vs 44. Your wettest month was August at 121 mm.

----------

HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY & CENTRAL/EAST LABRADOR

Temperatures

In terms of daytime highs, HV-GB had the biggest difference from Summer to Summer, with 2013 coming in -2.7 cooler. HV-GB also saw the biggest drop in 20 degree days from June to September with 19 fewer days this Summer.

July vs July, 2013 actually averaged warmer than last Summer and had the same number of 20+ days. However highs in June were significantly cooler (22.2 vs 16.9) which shows just how impressive last June was in Labrador. The June average is 17.1.

Highs in August and September both finished near average, which was about 3 cooler than last Summer.

Rainfall

HV-GB also saw the biggest increase in rainy days from Summer to Summer. This past June-September, there were only 35 rain free days, compared to 51 last year. Even though, 2013 was more than 100 mm wetter, it still finished drier than the 30 year average of about 400 mm.

----------

LABRADOR CITY & WESTERN LABRADOR

Temperatures

Western Labrador also had a noticeably cooler Summer than last year, as daytime highs averaged a full 2 cooler in 2012. However the biggest differences were again in the months of June and September. Perhaps it's not even fair to compare to June of 2012, which was warmer than July or August last Summer! June of 2013 had 9 days at 20+, compared to 18 days last year and the average high was 16.5 compared to 20.5.
Highs in July of 2013 were actually warmer than last year (20.3 vs 19.5) and August 2013 had 9 days at 20+ compared to 12 last year.
September 2013 actually finished BELOW average in Lab West with an average high of 11.2, much cooler than the 14.7 average high last year.

Rainfall
The most memorable part of Summer in Labrador were the forest fires in Lab West. Just 35 mm of Rain in June was only half of your month average and meant very dry conditions. The rest of the Summer finished near average in terms of Rainfall. Overall, mainly thanks to June, it was a drier Summer in 2013 and rain free days averaged out from Summer to Summer.

Another noteworthy stat for Lab West. It snowed for most of the day on June 5th, 3 days later temperatures rose to 20.8!

Let the countdown to Summer 2014 begin!

Ryan.

View all posts

CBC News Navigation

Summer 2012 vs Summer 2013- The Breakdown

Weather Warnings