Toronto’s year in chaotic weather and wondrous wildlife | CBC News

Arguably, Toronto’s newsmaker of the year was Mother Nature.

While 2024 began with a mild and oh-so-gloomy winter, the natural world soon delivered some moments impossible to ignore.

Here are some of CBC Toronto’s most-read weather and wildlife stories of 2024:

Gloomy weather descended on Toronto in December — thanks, El Niño — and wound up sticking around for much of the winter. 

This was a plus for those who detest winter’s typically-frigid climes, but a rough one for Torontonians battling seasonal depression. 

The winter did bring one delightful sight.

Jules McCusker could hardly believe his eyes when he spied a bald eagle nest near his home. While spotting one of the iconic birds of prey in the city is rare, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) confirmed in March that what McCusker saw was Toronto’s first-ever documented bald eagle nest.

The above-zero streak

On March 31, the minimum temperature recorded in Toronto’s city centre climbed above the freezing mark and stayed there — for an astonishing 243 days. (Hat tip to Rolf Campbell, who tracked the streak on Reddit.)

The ultimate: “Where were you when?” moment of 2024.

Cheers broke out at 3:19 p.m. on April 8 outside the Rogers Centre as a partial solar eclipse brought the city to dusk, with the moon blocking over 90 per cent of the sun.

How Toronto marked the 2024 solar eclipse

Although Toronto is just outside of the path of totality, thousands of people attended watch parties across the city. CBC’s Chris Glover stopped by Toronto Metropolitan University’s solar eclipse event to witness the rare celestial moment.

Environment Canada issued a heat warning for a vast strech of the province, from Windsor in the south all the way to Fort Albany in the north, and from Ottawa in the east to Sault Ste Marie in the west.

Daytime highs hovered between 30 C and 35 C, and felt more like 40 C with the humidity. 

It didn’t cool down much at night either, prompting the city to open outdoor pools late.

Few places were spared the wrath of the major storm that charged across Toronto on July 16, not even city hall, where water poured through the roof.

The severe storm ripped left many streets flooded, including the Don Valley Parkway. And at its peak, 167,000 customers had their power knocked out.

About 98 millimetres of rainfall was recorded at Pearson International Airport, while roughly 84 millimetres fell in the downtown core within a few hours, according to Environment Canada.

Toronto is under water again. Here’s what happened

CBC Toronto meteorologist Colette Kennedy explains what led to such severe flooding in parts of the GTA on Tuesday.

Fire crews rescued 27 people from the water, including stranded drivers and pedestrians and eight people who were trapped in elevators during a rain-soaked weekend.

Once again, it was the intensity of downpours that troubled urban infrastructure. 

The City of Mississauga said some areas saw as little as 6.2 millimetres of rain while the hardest-hit parts got some 170 millimetres over two days.

Experts warned the GTA’s warmer-than-average fall would lead to a duller display of red, gold and orange – though a few cold snaps did eventually help the colours pop.

What warmer weather — and a warmer climate — means for the fall leaves

Toronto is experiencing a summer-like stretch of unseasonably warm weather. CBC Toronto meteorologist Colette Kennedy breaks down how high temperatures will affect fall colours this year — and how climate change factors in.

Toronto’s seen a few snowflakes, Gravenhurst has seen enough.

Snow squalls battered parts of cottage country at the beginning of December, stranding motorists on Hwy. 11. Gravenhurst was forced to declare a state of emergency. 

Ontario communities dig out after massive snowfall

A state of emergency remains in effect in Gravenhurst, Ont., after about 140 centimetres of snow fell in the area over the weekend. With Highway 11 reopening and cleanup underway, the vehicles that spent days stuck in the snow will soon get back on the road.