Calgary makes 3 of Canada’s top 2018 weather stories

2018 was an interesting year to say the least. We had our fair share of extreme weather in Canada, and surprise surprise– our city made the list for a good chunk of ’em. Keep reading to recap our crazy Calgary weather!

Record wildfires and smoke for days

National stats showed that there were more fires than ever last year, and the total area burned in Canada was double(!!) the longer term averages. Yikes. We all remember the smoke that was everywhere this summer, but what you might not realize is that we clocked in at 478 hours of smoke and haze (normal summer count is 12 hours).

It was so. Hot. Outside.

Related Posts
Massive NYE skating party at Olympic Plaza
5 must-hit spa escapes in AB

Across the globe, summer 2k18 was the 3rd hottest on record. Calgary made national headlines this summer, as the temperature hit 36.5 °C on August 10. Did anyone try to cook an egg on the sidewalk? ‘Cause if nobody did, that was a missed opportunity.

Hot and dry + snow-filled skies= bad harvest

The seasons jumped from summer to winter as temperatures plunged. We were trying to enjoy fall but then Mother Nature went “psych!” and gave us a cold-air mass out of the Yukon and NWT. During the first two days of October, a total of 38 cm of snow fell at the airport, breaking the record for any October day in 138 years.

And on top of all that craziness, we experienced things like this, too:
-Million dollar blizzard
-Sudden melting/ice jamming triggering AB floods
-Million dollar hailstorms
-An early August hailstorm in YYC
-An unexpected return for fall
-Weather adding 3 hours to football game
-A Chinook-filled/snowless December

So 2018’s been one for the books. Are you ready for an equally crazy 2019, Calgary?