weather record toronto

Toronto smashes 183-year weather record as temps climb 15 C above normal

Spring is in the air in Toronto, even though it's still February — as the city has just surpassed a pair of longstanding weather records, with temperatures soaring to a balmy 13.2 C by midday Friday.

The mercury hit this historic mark late Friday morning, rising 16 degrees above the February average of -3 C in Toronto and shattering the previous record of 10.6 C recorded at Pearson Airport in 1938.

The warmest temperature ever recorded on any Feb. 9 was 10 C, meaning today's record has also surpassed the high water mark for this date in the 183-year history of weather recording in Toronto.

Even before thermometers reached the teens, people were reacting with astonishment at the alarmingly warm temperatures and sunny skies.

Such tropical conditions in what is typically the coldest period of winter have locals coming out of hibernation weeks earlier than anticipated.

Indeed, such temperatures typically don't arrive until early March, and today's record for Feb. 9 marks the 10th-earliest arrival of a 13-degree day since record-keeping began in 1841.

But not everyone is thrilled by the sudden spike in temperatures, like one local who is blaming a headache on the heat.

Luckily for these few folks, conditions are expected to moderate over the weekend as the departing low-pressure system is trailed by winds and colder air.

While Toronto will be subject to mild temperatures throughout the weekend, anyone out enjoying the city on Friday night might want to bring a jacket along, as temperatures will plummet down to a still-above-seasonal 2 C in the overnight hours.

Lead photo by

Carol Farrington


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