Green Christmas? Ottawa breaks 130-year-old heat record
With the daytime temperature reaching 6 C in Ottawa on Monday, today is the warmest Dec. 18 in over 130 years.
The temperature reached a high of 5.9 C at 10 a.m. in Ottawa.
Environment Canada's historical averages show the city beat the previous record of 5.6 C recorded in 1895 and 1921.
- Sign up now for our nightly CTV News Ottawa newsletter
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
That makes it the highest temperature since record keeping began in 1938 at Ottawa's international airport and between 1889 and 1938 at the Central Experimental Farm.
The average temperature for Dec. 18 is a high of minus 3.6 C and a low of minus 11.8 C.
"It seems more tropical than polar, that's for sure," said Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.
Environment Canada has predicted El Niño conditions will bring milder temperatures to the Capital leading up to the holiday season. El Niño is a climate pattern that describes a warming of the ocean surface, which can create higher than average temperatures.
The last El Niño year in Canada was in 2015-2016, which was a milder winter with slightly above normal precipitation.
Less snow is expected in southern Ontario and southern Quebec leading up to the holidays, but Environment Canada says a small deviation in the storm track could mean a more active weather pattern.
About ten to 20 mm of rain is expected to fall today with conditions improving going into Christmas weekend. Phillips suspects Ottawa could also see some snow, but not very much.
"Kind of teasing you, in a way. I mean, this is about what you need for a white Christmas and I think that's probably on peoples minds," he said.
Environment Canada has no prediction for Christmas Day yet, but Christmas Eve is showing a mix of sun and clouds with a high of minus 3 C.
"To make it a white Christmas, you need two centimetres of snow sitting on the ground in Ottawa or Kanata or wherever you are, and if you get that, hey, you have a white Christmas," said Phillips. "Last year, boy, you had one in abundance; 44 centimetres of snow sitting on the ground before Christmas. It was a done deal, clearly too much snow... so my sense is you gotta look at it a little bit differently. It would be nice to have that white cover, but then if it makes you stay in like it did last year, then it may not be a good thing."
--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Tyler Fleming.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More Canadians only making minimum payment on credit cards: TransUnion
Some Canadians are seeing their credit card balances grow as the cost-of-living crisis and higher interest rates eat into household budgets, a new report shows.
Pope apologizes after using 'homophobic terms'
Pope Francis apologized Tuesday after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gays to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests.
Severe thunderstorms, 15 cm of snow: Canadian weather forecast highlights
Well into spring, some parts of Canada could experience a wintry comeback, while other areas are bracing for severe thunderstorms, according to local forecasts.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
House from 'Home Alone' hits the market for US$5.25 million
Kevin McCallister’s childhood home has hit the market for US$5.25 million. At just over 9,000 square feet, the house from the 'Home Alone' movie was last sold in 2012 for $1,585,000.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Israeli tanks advance into Rafah's centre despite global outcry
Israeli tanks advanced to the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city that has stirred global condemnation for its continued civilian toll.
At least 60 reports of Lyme disease so far as Ontario enters tick season
Peak tick season is only just beginning but reports of bites – and tick-borne illnesses – are already higher than normal in Ontario.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.