Toronto to break rainfall record?

Toronto is set to break the city’s record for the most rain on March 5 but it doesn’t compare to a summer downpour.

On a summer day, 45 mm can soak the city during one thunderstorm, said Environment Canada severe weather forecaster Ronald Lee.

But to break the record for rainfall at Pearson International Airport on March 5 there need only be a tad more than 1959’s 16.1 mm.

“We’ll break that easily,” Lee said.

“You can find a record for something everyday.”

Environment Canada has reissued a rainfall warning for Friday and Saturday’s rain, saying that some areas of southern Ontario are expected to get as much as 50 mm.

Toronto is expected to 25 mm on Saturday, enough to break 1959’s record.

Related story: How to flood-proof your home

As of noon, there had been 10 mm. A warning wouldn’t usually be issued for rain unless 50 mm was anticipated, Lee said. But during winter and early spring, added prompt warnings for less rain.

The busiest times for flooding and weather-related home damage are when the weather warms up around March and when summer storms hit around July, according to Shaun Delorey, a branch manager of FirstOnSite Restoration.

Snow that hangs around the outside of homes can cause basement flooding for some homes, said Delorey, who works out of the restoration company’s Kitchener office.

There have only been about 12 calls for help within the GTA so far, he said, but more are expected as the rain continues.

“That’s the good part,” Lee said. “The bad part is that it will turn into snow.”

The rain will change into snow and freezing rain at times overnight continuing into Sunday morning.

Still, this weekend’s weather is better than March 16, 1942, when 41.7 mm of rain set the record for the most rain in one day during the month of March.

How to flood-proof your home

 

If the weather forecasters are right, this weekend could mean heavy rain and possible flooding across the city and the region.

And that could mean some residents may find their basements full of water and sewage.

Sewers across the city are designed to handle most storms, but sometimes they can become overloaded, especially with frequent and severe storms.

If the sewers become backed up they can cause flooding in streets and create ponds in low-lying areas, causing water and sewage to seep into basements.

The City of Toronto is advising residents to follow a short and long-term checklist when it comes to flood proofing your home.

For the short term, homeowners should inspect flood-proofing devices such as sump pumps, floor drains and backwater valves to make sure they’re in good working order.

They should also inspect walls, doors, windows, floor and foundations for any cracks and or leaks and take measures to fix them.

The city also advises that residents safely clear neighbourhood catch basins of debris that can prevent rainwater from flowing into them.

Residents should also clean out eavestroughs and window wells and check for leaks.

Homeowners should also take steps that will prevent flooding over the long term by disconnecting downspouts and drains properly and away from the basement and foundation walls.

Make sure your downspout does not drain directly onto nearby properties, lanes or sidewalks.

You should also consider soft-surface landscaping that allows storm water to soak into the ground away from your home and make sure the grading of your property slopes away from the house by two to three metres.

The city also reminds residents to make sure your flood insurance is up to date.

And if you have any doubts about your home and flood-proofing you may want to contact a licensed plumber or drainage contractor. If you do experience flooding in your basement the city advises homeowners to call 311.

If you want more information on basement flooding prevention you can go here.

Record downpour Saturday could lead to GTA flooding

Grab some rain boots and an umbrella if you want to keep dry this weekend as the city can expect to get drenched by up to 40 millimetres of rain.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Friday morning, warning that much of Ontario could be hit by ice pellets, freezing rain and snow on Friday afternoon.

Provincial police reported 90 collisions during freezing rain between midnight and 9 a.m. in southwestern Ontario near London. Most of the collisions were caused by speeding or driving too closely, according to police. There were no serious injuries.

But the mixed bag of precipitation skipped Toronto as the city’s temperature rose above the freezing to 2C by 10 a.m. before a Texas cold front moved over Ontario.

Icy weather could still create messy driving conditions for areas including Sarnia and London, while Toronto prepares for the possibility of flooding, according to Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips.

“In many ways we think it’s a bummer of a weekend because it’s so wet,” said Phillips. “But in many ways we’re very fortunate because it could have been heavy snowfall, it could be freezing rain.”

The thaw of what snow remains, plus the still-frozen ground combined with lots of rain could create floods in some areas of the GTA, Phillips said.

The showers will start early on Friday afternoon but will get heavier into late evening. Five to 10 mm of rain are expected by day’s end.

Saturday will be soggier with an expected 20 to 30 mm of rain. Temperatures aren’t expected to dip lower than 3C and could be as high as 9C.

Toronto is set to break the record for the most rainfall on a March 5 since 1959, when there was 16.3 mm, Phillips said.

“It will be probably be the wettest March 5, from the rain point of view,” he said.

But the thaw won’t last for long. Snow is expected to fall on Sunday when temperatures are expected to reach a high of -1 C and could dip as low -7C.

HOW TO FLOOD-PROOF YOUR HOME

-- Carys Mills, Staff Reporter

Weather statement lifted for Toronto

Environment Canada has ended a special weather statement for Toronto that warned about blowing snow and a possibility of snow showers.

The statement ended around noon Wednesdayn after a few scattered flurries fell throughout the city in the morning.

However, the advisory remained in effect for Barrie, Orillia, York and Durham regions.

Blowing snow warning for north of Toronto

The unpredictable March weather continued Wednesday morning with a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada, warning about scattered heavy snow north of the city after spring-like weather earlier in the week.

A cold front will hit York and Durham regions, as well as Barrie and Orillia, triggering brief periods of blowing snow throughout morning.

“The threat will end by late morning. No significant snowfall accumulations are expected,” the Environment Canada wrote in a statement.

A 20-car pileup in Innisful closed parts of Hwy. 400 because of the severe whiteout conditions.

The weather system will steer clear of Toronto, although the balmy weather  continues to fade, with a daytime high of -4 C and a possibility of scattered flurries for Tuesday morning.

In evening, the mercury is expected to drop to -12 C, feeling more like -19 C with the wind chill.

Colder than normal spring forecast

Ontario's Wiarton Willie, Nova Scotia's Shubenacadie Sam and Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil all predicted an early spring.

But Environment Canada's spring forecast suggests the rascally rodents got it all wrong.

The agency is out with its spring forecast for March, April and May.

Last year, Canada had one of the earliest springs ever, noted senior climatologist David Phillips, but this year, the season will be "reluctant to arrive."

Canada has had a "fickle and fitful" winter with temperature swings that are typical in a La Nina year, he said, and there will likely be more of the same in the spring.

About three quarters of the country will be colder than normal for the next three months, according to Phillips.

"March is going to roar in like a lion in parts of the Maritimes where they're talking about heavy snowfall and blizzard kind of conditions," said Phillips.

"On the Prairies it's more like frozen mutton because they're going to see one of the coldest beginnings to March they've ever seen across that region," he said.

Temperatures will be 18 to 20 degrees colder than normal Tuesday and Wednesday on the Prairies, he said.

British Columbia, the Yukon, the Prairies, the Northwest Territories, most of Ontario, and a good chunk of Nunavut will see colder temperatures during spring.

"We've done a lot of plowing and shovelling and pushing in some areas of Canada and it looks like they're going to continue that," said Phillips.

Eastern Nunavut, most of Newfoundland and eastern Nova Scotia will enjoy a warmer than normal spring.

Western Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Labrador, southern Quebec and eastern Ontario will have near normal temperatures, he said.

Southern B.C., most of Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Nunavut will see a wetter than normal spring while precipitation will be near normal in northern Ontario and most of the Prairies.

But at least Canadians have something to put themselves in a sunny mood.

Residents in the southern half of the country are gaining about four minutes a day more daylight driving to work or heading to school, he said.

"This is the time of the year where the day length just gallops from one day to the next," said Phillips.

"That really lifts our spirit. Even though nature doesn't want to give us the spring that we think that we deserve, we see it in the daylight and that can be uplifting," he said.

-- The Canadian Press