 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
January Thaw
Record Breaking Mild Temperatures
Throughout Southern Ontario
Very mild weather and heavy rain saw water levels rise quickly in Collingwood and area rivers and streams. Home owners at the mouth of the Pretty River in Collingwood were cut off from the rest of town as water flowed over the Pretty River causeway.
What A Difference A Week Makes
The bitter cold temperatures experienced at the end of December were replaced with record-breaking mild temperatures in early January. Temperatures in Collingwood were in the mid-teens at 10pm on Monday January 7th. Earlier in the day, Collingwood was hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms. Water piled up quickly and kept Works crews scrambling to clear blocked drains to allow for proper runoff. The same weather system triggered tornados south of the border as far south as Arkansas.
Toronto broke a 16 year old daytime high temperature record as the temperature hit 16 degrees. In total, more than a dozen records fell throughout Southern Ontario. Environment Canada issued a special weather statement, stretching from Windsor to Ottawa, warning of strong thunderstorms, significant rain and dense fog. At one point Sarnia and Windsor residents had to deal with a tornado watch. Commuters had to deal with pooling water and dense fog on area highways.
The extreme weather has had an impact on area ski hills. Blue Mountain opened 6 of 34 trails on Tuesday January 8th, serviced by 3 of 14 lifts.
The Pretty River Dyke Ice Chut Spillway was constructed in 1973, correcting an ongoing flooding situation at the mouth of the Pretty River in Collingwood. The spillway handled the roaring runoff and prevented flooding to homes and cottages situated along the shoreline.
The ice had melted and the green grass was exposed at Sunset Point Park on Tuesday January 8th. Only one week early, this area was under a deep winter blanket of snow as temperatures dipped to below -20. Three fish huts were still above water on Collingwood harbour, but the open ice was clearly in sight.
