17 more low-temperature records broken in B.C. on Saturday

Over a dozen daily minimum temperature records fell in B.C. on Saturday, as a mass of Arctic air continued to freeze much of Western Canada, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

It was the coldest Jan. 13 in more than a century in three communities: Salmon Arm, Revelstoke and Cranbrook. The cities all broke records set in 1911 on Saturday.

The lowest record-setting temperature on Saturday was in Sparwood, near the Alberta border, where the mercury fell all the way to -40 C. Sparwood’s new low beat its previous record of -32.9 C from 2005 by several degrees.

The bitter cold is expected to persist until Sunday night or Monday morning in much of the province, when temperatures will begin to moderate, according to the weather agency.

Extreme cold warnings were in effect Sunday across the eastern portion of B.C., from Fort Nelson all the way down to the U.S. border. The alert said to expect temperatures in the negative 30s and 40s overnight. The warnings were also in place for the Chilcotin and Similkameen regions.

Arctic outflow warnings calling for strong winds and wind chill values of -20 C remained in place Sunday for inland sections of the North and Central Coast, as well as the Sea to Sky Corridor and eastern Fraser Valley.

The Arctic outflow warning previously covering Metro Vancouver was lifted Sunday. However, there is snow in the forecast for the region on Tuesday night.

The full list of temperature records broken on Jan. 13 follows below:

• Bella Bella area: New record of -9.7 C, old record of -4.5 C set in 2005

• Blue River area: New record of -39.9 C, old record of -37.8 C set in 1950

• Cranbrook area: New record of -36.8 C, old record of -32.2 C set in 1911

• Creston area: New record of -27.2 C, old record of -22.8 C set in 1937

• Lillooet area: New record of -24.0 C, old record of -21.1 C set in 2005

• Malahat area: New record of -12.6 C, old record of -7.8 C set in 2020

• Nakusp area: New record of -23.7 C, old record of -18.3 C set in 1972

• Nelson area: New record of -21.9 C, old record of -20.0 C set in 1950

• Osoyoos area: New record of -22.3 C, old record of -19.8 C set in 2017

• Penticton area: New record of -27.6 C, old record of -24.4 C set in 1950

• Revelstoke area: New record of -27.3 C, old record of -26.7 C set in 1911

• Salmon Arm area: New record of -30.4 C, old record of -27.2 C set in 1911

• Sechelt area: New record of -11.4 C, old record of -6.7 C set in 1971

• Sparwood area: New record of -40.0 C, old record of -32.9 C set in 2005

• Squamish area: New record of -14.8 C, old record of -11.8 C set in 2017

• Trail area: New record of -26.9 C, old record of -23.3 C set in 1950

• West Vancouver area: New record of -12.4 C, old record of -7.2 C set in 1993

Environment and Climate Change Canada says its temperature records are “derived from a selection of historical stations in each geographic area that were active during the period of record.” The weather agency also notes that the list may contain preliminary or unofficial information and doesn’t constitute a final report.