Published on July 26, 2025 at 0:13 am
For almost half of Quebecers, August is privileged for summer holidays. If the climatic reality of summers in Quebec has long been right to them, the recent past shows signs of changes.
A certain lag
Summer is built more or less gradually in June, culminates in July with a gap in August. No wonder that the stable and well -established heat correspond to weather conditions in good weather. You might think that we are better likely to have winning conditions if you are patient for choosing your vacation.
Two things to consider about August:
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Temperatures are on average a lower degree across the month compared to July. Since 2010, 5 months of August have taken place without heat waves in Quebec. We even had 4 consecutive years, from 2016 to 2019.
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Pushed freshness for example in August 2024 we experienced a dropout of 3 days below 20 degrees in southern Quebec, from August 20 to 22. A shock. A lasting freshness of unprecedented summer since 2014. Temperatures under 20 degrees existed in August between 1942 and 1999 at a frequency of 8.5 %. But since 2000 it has happened to 3.3% of the time. It is a considerable gap. But surprise: 4 of the last 5 months of August have experienced freshness, in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
A second shocking half
If we separate the month of August into two blocks of two weeks, we note that in a recent past, there seems to be a flexibility during the second half of August. An average of a good time of 88% in the long term we fall to a yield of 60% in the last 5 years, for 2020.
Disturbing trend
Since 2010, we have even observed a disturbing trend. 4 of the 10 worst months of summer took place in August. We are talking about 2011, but especially of 2020, 2023 and 2024. Each time it was because of the abundant rains. We only have to remember in 2024 the passage of Debby with its 150 mm of rain all at once. It gets a basement and it sends a vacation in the water. It is also a line of the last summers of these torrential rains.
Rain, winds, freshness
Three events marked August 2024. On August 3, violent thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds. On August 9, the remains of the Tropical Storm Debby caused a disaster with more than 150 mm of rain. On August 18, a depression reminiscent of fall brought abundant rains over two days. These are the 3 types of threats that tarnish the reality of the beautiful months of August. From there to questioning the choice of late holidays, it depends on the planned activities, and the destination.
