Just how hot and dry has this Calgary summer been? Take a look at the numbers
Tricia Lo | CBC News | Posted: August 31, 2017 6:05 PM | Last Updated: August 31, 2017
The city saw 10 times more 30 C days than it did last summer
There's no question it's been a scorcher of a summer this year in Calgary — and we've got the fire bans, broken power consumption records and yellowing, stressed-out trees to prove it.
Here's a roundup of stats from Environment Canada quantifying just how dry and hot it's been.
10: how many times we cracked 30 C
The number of 30 C days shows a "better trend" of just how "strikingly" hot the summer has been, said Kirk Torneby, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.
Last summer, Calgary cracked 30 C just once. The normal for June, July and August is 4.5 days.
- Power consumption record broken as temperatures top 30 C in parts of Alberta
- Extreme conditions spark fire ban for Calgary
1: the number of high temperature records broken
The mercury crept above 30 C most recently on Wednesday, setting a new record high of 33 C for the day. The previous record high was 32.4 C in 1996.
6: total heat warnings issued
Calgary, along with the majority of southern Alberta, is currently under a heat warning that's expected to last into the weekend.
This year, Calgary has seen more than double the number of heat warnings than what's considered typical.
Environment Canada issues on average two to three heat warnings through the city's summer months, based on 2000-2015 data.
139.8: the rainfall in millimetres
Last summer, Calgary received nearly 2.5 times that amount, at 341.5 mm.
The 30-year average for the city is 1.5 times what we've seen this year, at 216.5 mm.