Less than a week since several Lower Mainland areas saw a day of record-breaking rainfall, the weather in B.C. this December continues to prove unprecedented.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, 28 areas throughout the province reported record-high temperatures for Dec. 15.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO LIVE WEATHER COVERAGE!In Vancouver, a high of 15.7 degrees broke a 63-year record of 13.3 degrees. Agassiz, the Gulf Islands, Kamloops, Powell River, Quesnel, Richmond, Squamish, and parts of Victoria had also not seen such heat since the last record-setting day in 1962.
Meanwhile, Clinton, Comox, Hope, Pemberton, Port Alberni, Qualicum Beach, Whistler, and White Rock reported their hottest Dec. 15 since 1976.
A report of 8.2 degrees beat the oldest daily record of 6.7 degrees set in Revelstoke in 1917.
1130 NewsRadio Meteorologist Michael Kuss says the heat was the result of strong southerly winds.
“We’re pumping in all that warm air all the way up from California, Arizona — Mexico, really. And that’s why temperatures were not just warm. It was two, three degrees warmer than what we’ve seen over the last hundred years in a lot of spots,” Kuss explained.
He says cooler air will return to the province by Wednesday, and temperatures may drop below seasonal levels by the end of the week.
“We’re starting to see that transition back to a winter weather pattern. So that means snow for the mountain passes that takes place even late day Tuesday. But definitely over the next handful of days, travel gets into a wintry weather travel pattern, and we’re looking at potentially the return of white conditions and some snowfall for the North Shore ski hills.”
Kuss says it’s unlikely the Lower Mainland sees a white Christmas Day, but “the possibility’s there.”
“There are a couple of systems coming in and temperatures are going to be closer to freezing than we’ve seen — for the cloudy days anyway — all year long.”
Monday’s complete list of record-setting temperatures is as follows:
AGASSIZ AREA (Agassiz RCS)
- Preliminary new record of 15.6
- Old record of 14.4 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1889
CACHE CREEK AREA (Ashcroft)
- Preliminary new record of 15.0
- Old record of 10.6 set in 1956
- Records in this area have been kept since 1944
CLEARWATER AREA (Clearwater Auto)
- Preliminary new record of 11.3
- Old record of 8.0 set in 2002
- Records in this area have been kept since 1913
CLINTON AREA (Clinton RCS)
- Preliminary new record of 9.1
- Old record of 8.9 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1974
COMOX AREA (Comox A)
- Preliminary new record of 16.9
- Old record of 15.6 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1914
DUNCAN AREA (North Cowichan)
- Preliminary new record of 16.4
- Old record of 14.4 set in 1956
- Records in this area have been kept since 1913
GULF ISLANDS (SOUTHERN) AREA (Saturna Island CS)
- Currently tied record of 13.9 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1909
HOPE AREA (Hope Airport)
- Preliminary new record of 15.2
- Old record of 14.4 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1936
KAMLOOPS AREA (Kamloops Aut)
- Preliminary new record of 18.6
- Old record of 13.3 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1890
NAKUSP AREA (Nakusp CS)
- Preliminary new record of 8.9
- Old record of 7.5 set in 1980
- Records in this area have been kept since 1966
PEMBERTON AREA (Pemberton Airport CS)
- Preliminary new record of 15.8
- Old record of 7.8 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1908
PITT MEADOWS AREA (Pitt Meadows CS)
- Preliminary new record of 15.2
- Old record of 13.3 set in 1939
- Records in this area have been kept since 1874
PORT ALBERNI AREA (Port Alberni (AUT))
- Preliminary new record of 14.2
- Old record of 13.3 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1900
POWELL RIVER AREA (Powell River)
- Preliminary new record of 14.9
- Old record of 12.2 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1924
QUALICUM BEACH AREA (Qualicum Beach Airport)
- Preliminary new record of 16.2
- Old record of 15.6 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1962
QUESNEL AREA (Quesnel Airport Auto)
- Preliminary new record of 10.7
- Old record of 10.6 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1893
REVELSTOKE AREA (Revelstoke Airport Auto)
- Preliminary new record of 8.2
- Old record of 6.7 set in 1917
- Records in this area have been kept since 1898
RICHMOND AREA (Vancouver Sea Island Ccg)
- Preliminary new record of 15.7
- Old record of 13.3 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1896
SALMON ARM AREA (Salmon Arm CS)
- Preliminary new record of 12.5
- Old record of 9.5 set in 2002
- Records in this area have been kept since 1893
SECHELT AREA (Sechelt Aut)
- Preliminary new record of 14.5
- Old record of 12.5 set in 1980
- Records in this area have been kept since 1956
SQUAMISH AREA (Squamish Airport)
- Preliminary new record of 14.2
- Old record of 12.2 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1960
VANCOUVER AREA (Vancouver Intl A)
- Preliminary new record of 15.7
- Old record of 13.3 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1896
VERNON AREA (Vernon Auto)
- Preliminary new record of 10.9
- Old record of 10.3 set in 2002
- Records in this area have been kept since 1900
VICTORIA GONZALES POINT AREA (Victoria Gonzales CS)
- Preliminary new record of 14.6
- Old record of 13.9 set in 1962
- Records in this area have been kept since 1874
VICTORIA AREA (Victoria Intl A)
- Preliminary new record of 16.8
- Old record of 14.3 set in 1999
- Records in this area have been kept since 1914
WEST VANCOUVER AREA (West Vancouver Aut)
- Preliminary new record of 13.2
- Old record of 11.0 set in 1980
- Records in this area have been kept since 1976
WHISTLER AREA (Whistler – Nesters)
- Preliminary new record of 10.4
- Old record of 9.4 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1950
WHITE ROCK AREA (White Rock Campbell Scientific)
- Preliminary new record of 14.7
- Old record of 13.3 set in 1976
- Records in this area have been kept since 1929