September 2020 Summary – Late, but still hot, wet and smokey!

A very rainy, but not quite record rainy, month.

The Alberniweather and Alberni Valley Climate Summary for September 2020


After a few months of very average weather, September turned right around and delivered a very warm and very wet, month. Both the airport and city areas received nearly 150% of the normal rain (mostly in the span of a couple days). We also received some heavy winds.

The airport set records at both the start, and end, of the month.

In all it was marked by heat, and smoke.

Story of the Month – The constant Smoke!

It was definitely the California and Washington wildfire smoke. Here’s a post from that event. We’ve never seen smoke like that so late in the summer and were it not for that smoke it might have been even warmer.

More below!


Daily and All Time Records Set

Set at the Airport* since 1994 and compared to other stations** for “All Time” since 1900.


Two new high temperatures were set at the Airport as well as one for high rainfall. Neither one came particularly close to setting an all time record but it was an indication that it was an unusually warm and wet month.

  • Sept 10 high temp 33.8º C: #1 is 36.7º C at Beaver Creek in 1944.
  • Sept 24 high rainfall 28.4 mm: #1 is 36.7 mm at Robertson Creek in 2010.
  • Sept 29 high temp 25.2º C: #1 is 30.6º C at Port Alberni in 1935.

City Station Comparisons

Mean Min, Mean, and Mean Max Temperature, 
Total Precipitation and Highest Wind


  • Alberniweather: 12.9 ºC, 17.5 ºC, 23.5 ºC100.6 mm , S 54.7 kph on 25th
  • Alberni Elem. : 12.6 ºC, 17.2 ºC, 23.2 ºC, 116.3 mm, ESE 28 kph on 23rd
  • Maquinna Elem.: 13.0 ºC, 17.1 ºC, 22.9 ºC, 117.3 mm, – 30 kph on 25th
  • Neptune: 13.2 ºC, 17.2 ºC, 23.4 ºC, NA , NA
  • Nick’s (Maq area): 12.9 ºC, 16.6 ºC, 21.4 ºC79.2 mm, – 33.3 kph on 23rd

City and Airport
Compared to Normal


Differences from Normal (1971-2000) in the City

+2.4° C, +0.4º C, -0.6 ºC+29.6 mm (145%)

This Month’s Average City Values

Differences from Normal (1981-2010) at the Airport

+2.8° C, +1.6º C, +0.5º C +29.6 mm (148%)

This Month’s Average Airport Values

Official Days of Precipitation at Airport*

Normal Days at Robertson CreekDays This Month
>= 0.2 mm: 10.3 :  10
>= 5 mm:  3.6 : 3
>= 10 mm: 1.8 : 3
>= 25 mm: 0.52 : 2


* May have used backup Environment Canada Data source at WeatherStats.ca or Missing Data (January 2020)

**^^ Missing Data from Airport, Alberniweather broke existing Airport record temperature. Temperature at Alberniweather will be different. Usually Alberniweather underestimates temperatures in summer compared to Airport.

** Short Term means since 1995 at the new AVRA Airport.  Airport Records are compared to the 30+ year weather stations of record since 1900 (1895 for rain) at Beaver Creek, Port Alberni "City" and Robertson Creek.  Note that records pre 1950 may be more likely to over-estimate high temperatures.

***Rain gauge faulty. ****Alberni Elementary station offline.

*~: Neptune station missing data from 21st onward.

^Estimated amount, as new rain gauge installed on the 7th, used Alberni Elementary totals before that date.

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