What Is The All-Time Single Day Winter Snow Record For Toronto?

The last week has certainly been a trying one for motorists, pedestrians and anyone with a driveway. Wednesday’s huge dump wasn’t the all-time biggest single one day snow fall in recent history, but you could see it from there.

The all-time worst day for winter snow recorded at Pearson International Airport was on February 25, 1965, when the city was buried by a mind blowing (and no doubt snow blowing) 39.9 centimetres. They didn’t have any of the sophisticated equipment available today, so you can only imagine the chaos it caused and how long it took them to dig it all out.

Other big snow days in Toronto’s past (measured from 1938-2007):

2) January 23, 1966, a little less than a year after the record fall. Residents were digging out from 36.8cm.

3) What was it with the 60’s? The year the Beatles arrived in North America was also the one that takes the bronze for winter. March 10, 1964 saw Toronto digging out from 32.3cm of frosted flakes.

4) We don’t know if the groundhog saw his shadow on Feb. 2, 1953, but if he was smart, he stayed inside and avoided the 30.4 cm that fell that day, good for fourth place. 

But if those are the record holders for the single day snow totals, what has the least? Not surprisingly, it belongs to the day that comes up only once every four years. February 29th is the least snowy day in winter in T.O.’s past. The record fall for the added calendar date: just 1.8cm. It came in 1940.

There’s a Feb. 29 in 2008, and while it’s too soon to know yet what’s coming then, the way things are going we may have another record to add to the list.

Here’s a look at the all-time single winter snow days (in centimetres) as recorded at the airport from 1938 to the present. It starts from Dec. 22, the first day of winter this year and ends on March 20 – when spring mercifully arrives.

Dec. 22: 10.9 in 1995
Dec. 23: 15.0 in 2004
Dec. 24: 3.6 in 2000
Dec. 25: 10.4 in 1951

Dec. 26: 12.4 in 1975
Dec. 27: 10.9 1994
Dec. 28: 16.3 in 1983
Dec. 29: 7.0 in 1989
Dec. 30: 19.6 in 1971
Dec. 31: 13.0 in 1948

Jan. 1: 17.8 in 1948
Jan.2: 16.3 in 1965
Jan. 3: 27.9 in 1943
Jan. 4: 8.9 in 1941
Jan. 5: 16.5 in 1940

Jan. 6: 17.8 in 1950
Jan. 7: 10.4 in 1966
Jan. 8: 7.6 in 1953
Jan. 9: 12.6 in 1997
Jan. 10: 18.7 in 1977

Jan. 11: 9.8 in 1991
Jan. 12: 12.2 in 1938
Jan. 13: 15.0 in 1976
Jan. 14: 20.8 in 1968
Jan. 15: 11.2 in 1999

Jan. 16: 10.9 in 1938
Jan. 17: 7.6 in 1994
Jan. 18: 9.4 in 1987
Jan. 19: 13.0 in 1987
Jan. 20: 12.2 in 1972

Jan. 21: 8.9 in 1979
Jan. 22: 9.6 in 2005
Jan. 23: 36.8 in 1966
Jan. 24: 9.4 in 1997
Jan. 25: 7.8 2005

Jan. 26: 17.6 in 2004
Jan. 27: 14.0 in 2004
Jan. 28: 7.1 in 1977
Jan. 29: 16.0 in 1947
Jan. 30: 18.8 in 1956
Jan. 31: 16.4 in 2002

Feb. 1:  16.4 in 2008
Feb. 2: 30.4 in 1953
Feb. 3: 17.5 in 1972
Feb. 4: 11.4 in 1945
Feb. 5:  7.2 in 1985

Feb. 6: 30.4 in 2008
Feb. 7: 18.5 in 1942
Feb. 8: 27.2 in 2001
Feb. 9: 6.2 in 2005
Feb. 10: 10.2 in 1959

Feb. 11: 17.3 in 1944
Feb. 12: 18.2 in 1985
Feb. 13: 12.7 in 1950
Feb. 14: 21.1 in 1957
Feb. 15: 14.0 in 1990

Feb. 16: 19.8 in 1954
Feb. 17: 11.2 in 1941
Feb. 18: 7.4 in 1972
Feb. 19: 13.2 in 1939
Feb. 20: 8.9 in 1952

Feb. 21: 24.9 in 1950
Feb. 22: 11.4 in 1947
Feb. 23: 15.7 in 1959
Feb. 24: 15.5 in 1962
Feb. 25: 39.9 in 1965

Feb. 26: 10.6 in 1979
Feb. 27: 7.1 in 1967
Feb. 28: 15.2 in 1948
Feb. 29: 1.8 in 1940

March 1: 9.1 in 1947
March 2: 11.9 in 1976
March 3: 13.7 in 1994
March 4: 24.4 in 1985
March 5: 14.4 in 2001

March 6: 16.5 in 1943
March 7: 16.0 in 1956
March 8: 17.8 in 1980
March 9: 10.4 in 1942
March 10: 32.3 in 1964

March 11: 8.1 in 1941
March 12: 26.4 in 1968
March 13: 8.6 in 1963
March 14: 16.5 in 1951
March 15: 3.0 in 1967

March 16: 14.2 in 1960
March 17: 16.3 in 1950
March 18: 6.4 in 1977
March 19: 10.4 in 1971
March 20: 11.4 in 1996

Source: Environment Canada

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