Wacky Rainstorm hits Eastern Ontario and Southern Quebec (Canada)

[Charliebox]

Hey all,

This is my first post on these forums, just I'd just like to start by saying hello to everyone.

I've been a reader for a few years, but I don't feel comfortable in posting on some of the other topics just yet.

Anyways, there is this really weird weather phenomenon hitting my area today. I live in Ottawa, Canada, and we are getting a massive rainstorm. Obviously just a rainstorm on its own is no big deal but there are a few things that make it very "out-of-the-ordinary".

First, it's of cyclical nature. When we recieve a storm of thise type, it's the remnants of a tropical storm or hurricane that has made its way up the Eastern Seaboard. This time, it's not the case. We haven't heard of anything of the sort happening in the Alantic over the last few days.

Secondly, they didn't even predict this whatsoever. Again, as I said, when it is the left overs of a larger Oceanic storm, they can track it and predict what day it will hit and how much rainfall we are expected to get. They are usually pretty good at doing this. I have never seen clouds circle the sky like this without it being the end of one of these hurricanes/tropical storms.

With this storm, they said as of last night - all the way to 5 AM this morning, that we'd only get around 4mm of rainfall and it would clear up by mid afternoon. Right now, they are saying that this storm will give us a total of 70mm (or 2.7 inches) and will will surpass our 'one day rainfall record' of around 55mm. Also, they are now saying that it won't clear up till late tonight. Four millimeters and 70 millimeters is quite the difference, don't ya think?

The Ottawa area is usually a pretty dry place during the summer months when the weather follows the typical west to east pattern and isn't influenced by Atlantic storms.

These clouds keep circling my city (including all of Eastern Ontario and Southern Quebec), and they are so low, it almost looks like you can reach out and grab them.

Very Eerie.

 

[Jacques]

These clouds keep circling my city (including all of Eastern Ontario and Southern Quebec), and they are so low, it almost looks like you can reach out and grab them.

Very Eerie.

Hi Charliebox,

Welcome to the forum.

I would say it is the same thing in Québec city.

In fact the month of july is quite awful so far. The weather is not great and it is quite cold.

We use to say that in Québec city we have two seasons, the winter and the month of july where it is supposed to be hotter. Right now from the beginning of the month, it does look like we are in fall. Nice fall but it is not the summer.

 

[vinny]

welcome to the forum!

it does seem as though there are very strange things going on globally with the weather right now - it's all going a bit mad! (certainly true here in the UK). so it's good to get extra observations about this.

Like you, I've also noticed a sudden drop in the ability to accurately forecast it over the last couple of months - with large-scale weather/cloud/pressure systems moving around very unpredictably.

SOTT has been recording quite a torrent (pun intended) of news coverage about it all recently - especially of interest is the data about the gulf-stream which is currently not behaving itself - there is a great time-lapse diagram of it, in an article a few days ago, (under 'The Living Planet' section)

 

[Charliebox]

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

What really made friday weird is, as I said, the storm's cyclical nature. We still haven't been told what caused that day of massive rain. Usually, they'll say something like 'there is a warm front and cold front colliding all along Ontario (which would usually just cause a line of storms with heavy rain moving roughly west to east across the province), or they'll explain that the storm is really just "Tropical storm or hurricane (enter name)."

I am no weatherman, but I've always thought that cyclical storms originating on land were tornadoes (parts of bigger storms which are still cold and warm fronts colliding and moving in a 'line' across the country), and those in the ocean are hurricanes, tropical storms or typhoons (depending on it's size and where you live).

I have never seen something cyclical and covering such a massive area originating on land. I didn't even know it was possible.

 

[Jacques]

I have never seen something cyclical and covering such a massive area originating on land. I didn't even know it was possible.

Do you remember "Les inondations du Saguenay" (Saguenay's flood )? A former journalist of CBC Normand Lester wrote a book a couple of years ago saying that maybe the flood was not that natural but maybe a kind of experiment or test.

 

[Nienna]

Hey, Vin,

Is it flooding where you are located? Just curious if you are walking or floating around there? ;)

 

[vinny]

some areas of the UK got THREE MONTHS worth of rainfall in a day, or a couple of hours or something. apparently (well, it was on the BBC, so I can't vouch for it's accuracy!)

but... knowing that the weather was gonna get crazy over the next few years, I ah... live strategically (!) so, nah, I'm not flooded out
but thanks for asking!

edit: I'm not really so smart, though. I haven't figured out how to avoid the glacial rebound. hmm.... :/

 

[Mike]

What really made friday weird is, as I said, the storm's cyclical nature. We still haven't been told what caused that day of massive rain. Usually, they'll say something like 'there is a warm front and cold front colliding all along Ontario (which would usually just cause a line of storms with heavy rain moving roughly west to east across the province), or they'll explain that the storm is really just "Tropical storm or hurricane (enter name)."

Hi Charliebox,
I looked up what was happening on an weather internet page and basically a Low Pressure system was stalled right on top of E. Ontario and S. Quebec. On radar you could see it slowly rotating CCW bringing the rain/storms from NE to SW.

There was a similar stalled Low off of New England about a month ago that sent storms down the east coast from NE to SW for two or three days that messed with air travel in Philly, Baltimore, Wash DC and Atlanta.

Not a weatherman either, but I thought the storms were strange at the time.

Mike