While 2023 was a calm year for tornadoes across most of Canada, Ontario bucked the trend and recorded the most.
Western University’s Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP) recorded 86 tornadoes across Canada during the 2023 season.
According to researchers, that figure is significantly less than the previous year's 129, a Canadian record for the most tornadoes documented in a year.
It wasn't just the lower total that made 2023 a calm year. NTP Executive Director David Sills said there were only five tornadoes with damage rated EF2 or higher across Canada.
"That's the lowest since NTP started its investigations in 2017 and far less than the 30 plus that was recorded in 2021 and 2022,” said Sills. "NTP researchers are constantly analyzing and updating severe weather data from across the country, meaning more tornadoes and downbursts may be discovered over time."
Preliminary data in 2022 showed there were 117 tornadoes in Canada, but that number climbed to 129 following a year of further investigation.
Ontario recorded the most tornadoes in 2023, with 30 tornadoes over land and nine over water.
Alberta was the second most active province in 2023 with 19 tornadoes. Ten of those occurred in an outbreak on June 14.
According to researchers, Alberta also recorded the highest-rated tornado damage in 2023 at EF4 with the Didsbury tornado on July 1.
Downbursts in 2023 were all rated EF0 to EF1 and most often occurred in southern Manitoba with 18 and southern Ontario with 27.