Do you find this winter gray and gloomy? It’s not just a hunch. Montreal went through the third darkest winter since 1950 this year. In January, southern Quebec lost a week of sunshine compared to usual.
The three winter months of December, January and February average around 21 sunny days per month. This year, these months accumulated 20, 15 and 19 days of sunshine respectively, according to UQAM meteorological data and calculations by the Duty.
This anomaly was spotted by American meteorologists. Their analyzes go even further; they estimate that Montreal went through the third darkest winter this year since 1950. All of southern Quebec experienced a winter that entered the top 10 of the grayest in 73 years.
Southern Ontario has literally experienced the darkest winter in 73 years, according to data obtained from satellite imagery.
Map showing winter 2022-23 solar energy ranking since 1950. If you live in the eastern Great Lakes region and parts of New England, consider Vitamin D supplements. pic.twitter.com/lDIyAxchgo
—Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) March 7, 2023
The sun rises on a new technology
Experts agree on the conclusion, but the data differ. Several methods can be used to calculate the presence — or not — of the sun.
Historically, meteorologists used a heliograph. This instrument, consisting of a crystal ball, burns a paper underneath and indicates whether or not the sun shines without clouds. This method was abandoned by Environment Canada meteorologists several years ago.
These curious solar globes have been replaced in favor of more sensitive plates that measure the intensity of the sun. Rather than measuring the presence or absence of the sun in a binary way, it is now possible to calculate the general “solar radiation”.
It is on this basis that the UQAM experts rely to affirm that this winter was very dark. “I’m trying to get information about cloud cover, and I’m having a hard time finding it. Even with the models, it is not easy to get this information,” notes Julie Mireille Thériault, professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at UQAM.
The winter was particularly gray because of the succession of storms that swept through southern Quebec. Snow fell continuously in the St. Lawrence Valley throughout the month of January, with the exception of two short days. Only one short cold snap has affected southern Quebec this winter, so far, leaving little chance for the sun.
Overall, “soft and snowy” sums up the cold season which is ending quietly, according to Environment Canada.