The last week has certainly been a trying one for motorists, pedestrians and anyone with a driveway. Wednesday’s huge dump wasn’t the all-time biggest single one day snow fall in recent history, but you could see it from there.

The all-time worst day for winter snow recorded at Pearson International Airport was on February 25, 1965, when the city was buried by a mind blowing (and no doubt snow blowing) 39.9 centimetres. They didn’t have any of the sophisticated equipment available today, so you can only imagine the chaos it caused and how long it took them to dig it all out.

Other big snow days in Toronto’s past (measured from 1938-2007):

2) January 23, 1966, a little less than a year after the record fall. Residents were digging out from 36.8cm.

3) What was it with the 60’s? The year the Beatles arrived in North America was also the one that takes the bronze for winter. March 10, 1964 saw Toronto digging out from 32.3cm of frosted flakes.

4) We don’t know if the groundhog saw his shadow on Feb. 2, 1953, but if he was smart, he stayed inside and avoided the 30.4 cm that fell that day, good for fourth place.

But if those are the record holders for the single day snow totals, what has the least? Not surprisingly, it belongs to the day that comes up only once every four years. February 29th is the least snowy day in winter in T.O.’s past. The record fall for the added calendar date: just 1.8cm. It came in 1940.

There’s a Feb. 29 in 2008, and while it’s too soon to know yet what’s coming then, the way things are going we may have another record to add to the list.

Here’s a look at the all-time single winter snow days (in centimetres) as recorded at the airport from 1938 to the present. It starts from Dec. 22, the first day of winter this year and ends on March 20 – when spring mercifully arrives.

Dec. 22: 10.9 in 1995

Dec. 23: 15.0 in 2004

Dec. 24: 3.6 in 2000

Dec. 25: 10.4 in 1951

Dec. 26: 12.4 in 1975

Dec. 27: 10.9 1994

Dec. 28: 16.3 in 1983

Dec. 29: 7.0 in 1989

Dec. 30: 19.6 in 1971

Dec. 31: 13.0 in 1948

Jan. 1: 17.8 in 1948

Jan.2: 16.3 in 1965

Jan. 3: 27.9 in 1943

Jan. 4: 8.9 in 1941

Jan. 5: 16.5 in 1940

Jan. 6: 17.8 in 1950

Jan. 7: 10.4 in 1966

Jan. 8: 7.6 in 1953

Jan. 9: 12.6 in 1997

Jan. 10: 18.7 in 1977

Jan. 11: 9.8 in 1991

Jan. 12: 12.2 in 1938

Jan. 13: 15.0 in 1976

Jan. 14: 20.8 in 1968

Jan. 15: 11.2 in 1999

Jan. 16: 10.9 in 1938

Jan. 17: 7.6 in 1994

Jan. 18: 9.4 in 1987

Jan. 19: 13.0 in 1987

Jan. 20: 12.2 in 1972

Jan. 21: 8.9 in 1979

Jan. 22: 9.6 in 2005

Jan. 23: 36.8 in 1966

Jan. 24: 9.4 in 1997

Jan. 25: 7.8 2005

Jan. 26: 17.6 in 2004

Jan. 27: 14.0 in 2004

Jan. 28: 7.1 in 1977

Jan. 29: 16.0 in 1947

Jan. 30: 18.8 in 1956

Jan. 31: 16.4 in 2002

Feb. 1: 16.4 in 2008

Feb. 2: 30.4 in 1953

Feb. 3: 17.5 in 1972

Feb. 4: 11.4 in 1945

Feb. 5: 7.2 in 1985

Feb. 6: 30.4 in 2008

Feb. 7: 18.5 in 1942

Feb. 8: 27.2 in 2001

Feb. 9: 6.2 in 2005

Feb. 10: 10.2 in 1959

Feb. 11: 17.3 in 1944

Feb. 12: 18.2 in 1985

Feb. 13: 12.7 in 1950

Feb. 14: 21.1 in 1957

Feb. 15: 14.0 in 1990

Feb. 16: 19.8 in 1954

Feb. 17: 11.2 in 1941

Feb. 18: 7.4 in 1972

Feb. 19: 13.2 in 1939

Feb. 20: 8.9 in 1952

Feb. 21: 24.9 in 1950

Feb. 22: 11.4 in 1947

Feb. 23: 15.7 in 1959

Feb. 24: 15.5 in 1962

Feb. 25: 39.9 in 1965

Feb. 26: 10.6 in 1979

Feb. 27: 7.1 in 1967

Feb. 28: 15.2 in 1948

Feb. 29: 1.8 in 1940

March 1: 9.1 in 1947

March 2: 11.9 in 1976

March 3: 13.7 in 1994

March 4: 24.4 in 1985

March 5: 14.4 in 2001

March 6: 16.5 in 1943

March 7: 16.0 in 1956

March 8: 17.8 in 1980

March 9: 10.4 in 1942

March 10: 32.3 in 1964

March 11: 8.1 in 1941

March 12: 26.4 in 1968

March 13: 8.6 in 1963

March 14: 16.5 in 1951

March 15: 3.0 in 1967

March 16: 14.2 in 1960

March 17: 16.3 in 1950

March 18: 6.4 in 1977

March 19: 10.4 in 1971

March 20: 11.4 in 1996

Source: Environment Canada

