SD&G – If you thought you were doing a lot of shovelling in Cornwall and SD&G over the weekend, you’re right.
In an interview with Cornwall Newswatch, Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Kimbell says Cornwall and SD&G ended up taking the brunt of the storm with snowfall totals around 30-35 centimeters (11.8-13.8 inches).
Kingston had 24 centimeters and Ottawa got 27 centimeters. “Basically, we’re looking at 25-35 (centimeters) in the region, more closer to the St. Lawrence River and a little less as you head northwest.”
Kimbell says 30-35 centimeters is roughly 60-70 per cent of all the snow the region would receive in the month of January (49 centimeters).
“A lot of snow and of course a lot of cold as well,” he said.
Many people maybe used to having heavy dumps of snow in temperatures around freezing or frigid cold with little snow. But Kimbell says having these two weather characteristics together is not uncommon.
“It doesn’t happen that often but we have had these storms in the past that have combined extreme cold with snowfall. Is it true that the heaviest snowfalls typically do fall in warmer temperatures and that is true in this storm too. In fact, the highest snowfalls are farther south in the U.S.,” Kimbell told Newswatch.
“January is usually the coldest month and I think, typically the end of January, which is exactly where we are. So we’re basically hitting the normal rare events, essentially.”
Cornwall and SD&G wasn’t the snowiest place in Ontario. The Hamilton area had “40 or more centimeters” due to lake effect.
Kimbell says a break will be coming Wednesday where the temperature could get above freezing “and we might get a little bit of rain,” but it won’t last.
“Friday, we’ll be back into the minus double digits and probably into the very, very cold temperatures again.”