Modest December Improvement in Ontario Moisture Conditions

Ontario moisture conditions improved slightly in December, particularly around Kingston. 

According to the latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor on Friday, 38% of the farmland in the Central Region – which includes both Ontario and Quebec – was being impacted by abnormal dryness or drought as of the end of December, down from 42% in November. 

“The dry trend that southern Ontario experienced this fall, which lead to significant short-term precipitation deficits, improved somewhat (in December) . . .,” the monitor said. 

The onset of December brought the first snowstorms to southeastern Ontario and southern Quebec, with some locations reporting upwards of 25 to 30 cm of snow. On the other hand, precipitation across remaining parts of the Central Region was below normal, including western Ontario 

Abnormally dry as well as moderate to severe drought was reduced around Kingston and areas along the St. Lawrence Seaway, following 60-day precipitation to amounted to 85% to 115% of normal, the monitor said. Severe drought in northwestern Ontario also improved during the month. 

However, except for the improvement around Kingston, the abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions that extend across the southernmost portion of the province from Windsor to Ottawa were largely unchanged in December compared to November. 

December temperatures were significantly above normal across the region with northwestern and southern areas reporting temperatures more than 4 degrees C above normal. In early December, areas including Caledon, Oakville, and Windsor experienced record-breaking daily maximum temperatures.