End of December snow pushes Sioux Lookout snowfall accumulations higher

Mike Lawrence - Staff Writer

A late December snowfall means this season’s snowfall amounts for Sioux Lookout are already getting close to last year’s total accumulations over the entire winter. 

As Gerald Chang, Environment Canada Meteorologist, explains, the snowfall amounts for this winter have already nearly reached the total we received over the entirety of last winter. As Chang explained, “The normal from October to April inclusively should be 298.5 mm (of precipitation), but from October 2020 to April 2021, total precipitation last winter was just 121.2 mm. This season, from October until December 29 at 1 am, the total recorded is 113.7 so far this year.” 

It turns out the recent snowfall between Dec. 27-29 helped top those numbers up. After reaching out to Nav Canada for updated precipitation totals, Chang added, “After I sent an email along to Nav Canada which owns the station, I am thinking it was eight centimeters over the last 24 hours. I can give you the eight centimeters. But I don’t have the numbers for the total snowfall in the month, I can only stick with precipitation, which is a more accurate measure.” 

Chang went on to explain that measuring snowfall amounts in millimeters of precipitation gives a more accurate measurement but doesn’t always translate well into actual ‘on the ground’ snowfall amounts, stating, “The thing is that if there are winds, then it’s a judgement call. Winds can affect both automated stations and also manned stations because even if its manned, and you come out every hour and you measure then you take the average from a few spots, it can still be skewed by the winds. If its automated, even more so because it’s from a sensor.”

It seems that for this winter at least, Sioux Lookout is well on its way to what should at least be a more typical winter snowfall accumulation this season.