Arctic air breaks decades-old low temperature records in the Maritimes

Passengers stand on the open deck while riding a ferry across Halifax Harbour as sea smoke, or ice fog, forms in Halifax on Saturday, February 4, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese)

While relatively short-lived, the blast of Arctic air in the Maritimes was enough to break some long-standing low temperature records for all three Maritime provinces Friday and Saturday.

Long-standing low temperature records were broken in the Maritimes on both Friday and Saturday.

Low temperature records set for a Feb. 3 in the region included:

NEW BRUNSWICK

•  Grand Manan (since 1962)
  New record: -27.2
  Old record: -19.0 (1993)
   
• Miscou Island (since 1957)
  New record: -25.2
  Old record: -24.6 (2018)
   
• Moncton (since 1881)
  New record: -28.1
  Old record: -27.8 (1917)
   
• Saint John (since 1871)
  New record: -28.7
  Old record: -27.3 (2015)
   
• St. Stephen: (since 1951)
  New record: -27.5
  Old record: -27.2 (1961) 

NOVA SCOTIA

• Brier Island (since 1937)
  New record: -21.7
  Old record: -20.0 (1938)
   
• Halifax airport (since 1953)
  New record: -25.6
  Old record: -24.4 (1971)
   
• Kentville (since 1898)
  New record: -25.3
  Old record: -23.9 (1955)
   
• Port Hawkesbury (since 1960)
  New record: -25.5
  Old record: -23.3 (1971)
   
• Yarmouth (since 1879)
  New record: -21.8
  Old record: -18.9 (1885) 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

• East Point (since 1967)
  New record: -26.1
  Old record: -25.0 (1971)
   
• Summerside (since 1898)
  New record: -26.7
  Old record: -24.4 (1931)

Low temperature records set for a Feb. 4 in the region included:

NEW BRUNSWICK

• Fundy (National Park) (since 1950)
  New record: -28.7
  Old record: -27.2 (1971)
   
• Grand Manan (since 1962)
  New record: -27.1
  Old record: -23.0 (1990) 
   

NOVA SCOTIA

• Brier Island (since 1937)
  New record: -21.6
  Old record: -17.2 (1938)
   
• Port Hawkesbury (since 1960)
  New record: -27.4
  Old record: -21.7 (1975)
   
• Yarmouth (since 1879)
  New record: -21.8
  Old record: -19.4 (1967)
   

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

• East Point (since 1967)
  New record: -26.9
  Old record: -26.1 (1971)

• St. Peters Bay (since 1960)
  New record: -26.9
  Old record: -23.9 (1961)

In a number of cases, the standing record lows and weather observations go back several decades.

There was also the wind-chill factor. The coldest reported wind chill was at a weather station located at Mechanic Settlement in southern New Brunswick at -50C. A record? Not quite. Previous wind-chill values in the Maritimes include:

• -51 in Charlo, N.B. (Jan. 18, 1982)
• -51 in Amherst, N.S. (Feb. 14, 2003)
• -50 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. (Jan. 18, 1982)

Regardless, it has been very rare for the Maritimes to experience cold to the degree we had it Friday night into Saturday. The Arctic air moderated significantly Sunday into Monday. While some colder air will move back in for Tuesday, there are no signs, so far, that the extreme cold will return over at least the next several days.