After Saturday’s significant storms, Calgary now sits less than 1 mm away from its annual precipitation average.
By the end of July, Calgary had already exceeded its annual rainfall average.
As of Aug. 7, the city has already exceeded the August monthly average for rain. Typically Calgary can expect 57 mm of rain in the eighth month of the year. So far, 59.4 mm of rain has fallen in the first seven days of August.
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With that, the city has essentially matched its entire precipitation average for the year.
Precipitation vs. Rainfall
Precipitation covers all types of moisture, but the two main sources that contribute to monthly and annual totals are rain and snow. Meteorologists record rainfall in millimetres. Snowfall is measured in depth in centimetres but later recorded as a water equivalent.
Every month has an average precipitation amount based on 30-year statistics, as does every day.
There was so much rain on Saturday in Calgary that the city nearly broke a 131-year record for rainfall on that day. Measurements at the airport showed 29.2 mm fell. The record for rainfall on Aug. 6 was 31.8 mm in 1885.
That being said, Environment Canada meteorologist Kirk Tornaby said Nose Hill Park and areas along the western edge of the city likely received in excess of 80 to 90 mm of rain in a 24-hour period.
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Even though it has been a very rainy year in Calgary with 401.8 mm of rain so far, it seems unlikely the city will break the annual rainfall record. Environment Canada statistics show the greatest annual rainfall on record was 734.1 mm back in 1902.
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