Canada's top 10 weather stories of 2023: Wildfires, smoky skies, a record hot summer and more

Every year, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) ranks the top 10 Canadian weather stories. Senior climatologist David Phillips compiles the list and this year, there was no doubt about what would take the number one position: the record-setting wildfires.

"There's no drum roll here," Phillips said. 

"The fires dominated everything.... In 28 years of putting together [this list], it's never been a more obvious number one."

Wildfire season got an early start due, in part, to the persistent drought conditions across B.C. and in the west in general.

Combined with hot weather, the result was conditions that were perfect for wildfires.

The season was dominated by the wildfires in the west and North. In total, more than 235,000 Canadians were forced to evacuate their communities.

But the blazes were happening from coast to coast to coast.

For example, in Halifax, 18,000 people had to flee their homes in late May; eventually, the provincial government banned all activities in the forests, including camping, hiking and fishing. Days later, the city of Sept-Iles, Que., located about 750 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, issued a state of emergency and 5,000 people were forced out of their homes.

By June 27, Canada had already blown past its historic record for total area burned. By the end of wildfire season, 184,493 square kilometres had burned, the equivalent of almost 1.4 times the combined size of the three Maritime provinces, Phillips noted, making it the worst fire season in our country's history. 

On Aug. 16, the city of Yellowknife issued an evacuation order to its 20,000 residents, who sought safety in B.C., Alberta, and Manitoba. 

"I was really impressed by the people in Yellowknife," Phillips said. "Two-thirds of the population left, and then they had to go to places like Winnipeg.... And the anxiety of the thing. Are my property and possessions going to still be there? And no news about what state they were in for, like, three weeks."

While there were no civilian casualties, at least four firefighters died while battling the blazes.

But the wildfires had another consequence.

The wildfires produced smoky skies that extended across Canada — and the planet.