Canada's top ten weather stories of 2000

For the first time in 13 years, a deadly tornado touched down in Canada killing 12 people at Pine Lake, Alberta. The tragedy was the number one weather story in 2000 and one of the year's top news stories.

The new millennium saw the Pacific twins - El Niño and La Niña - finally fade to nothing - La Nada. It was also a year when one of the shortest winters on record matched the shortest summer, if that was really a summer. A series of torrential rain storms from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia created expensive and nuisance flooding for thousands of residents.

The year also saw a rare landfalling hurricane in Newfoundland and more weather woes for Canadian farmers. The year 2000 was another warm one - the eighth in a row in Canada. As well, fall 2000 marked the 13th consecutive season with higher-than-normal temperatures. In July, tourists on a Russian ice-breaker caused an international stir when they found open water, instead of ice cover, at the North Pole. These events are consistent with what scientists expect from climate change. And, it was a year in which British Columbia, apart from a mid-December wind storm, seemed to escape the wrath of the weather gods.

Here are the top ten weather stories of the year 2000 ranked by considering factors such as the impact they had on Canadians, the extent of the area they affected and their economic effects:

Top ten weather stories for 2000

  1. First Deadly Tornado in 13 Years
  2. "Bummer of A Summer" Across Canada
  3. Rain Gushers Flood Ontario and Manitoba
  4. January Storm Surge Wallops Atlantic Canada
  5. Great Lakes Levels - How Low Will They Go?
  6. More Weather Woes Down On The Farm
  7. Flash Flood Drowns Saskatchewan Town
  8. Hurricane Michael and November Gloom
  9. First Winter of the Millennium - Soft and Short
  10. Early Start to Winter 2000-2001

Regional highlights

Date modified: