Warm winter temperatures returning to B.C. as daily records fall in five communities

Warmer than usual weather has returned to British Columbia after a brief cold spell last month, with five communities set to break daily high temperature records this week.

Environment Canada says Pemberton, about 150 kilometres north of Vancouver, saw daily highs reach almost 16 degrees C on Monday, breaking the previous daily record set last year nearly 13 degrees.

In the Interior Trail in the west Kootenays region saw temperatures reach 14 degrees, beating a previous record of 11 degrees set in 2021.

Records also fell in Cranbrook near the boundary with Alberta with 12.4 degrees, edging out the previous record of 12.1 degrees reported in 1986.

Daily records were also broken in Clinton and Tatlayoko Lake.

B.C. experienced a dip in temperature in mid-February with multiple snowfall warnings in several communities, but had a warmer than usual winter due to a number of systems that caused flowers in some areas to bloom.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck