B.C.'s 'unseasonably warm' weather leads to broken temperature records for 4th straight day

For the fourth day in a row, a warm stretch of weather has led to temperature records breaking across B.C.

Preliminary data shared by Environment Canada shows 23 more records for March 18 fell on Monday, due to "an unseasonably warm airmass."

Many of the records that were shattered were decades old, including one that was previously set more than a century ago. On March 18, 1910, Vernon got as warm as 16.7 C. But this year, the mercury rose more than three degrees higher, setting a new record for that day of 19.8 C.

The spring preview is leading to some concern for what the season ahead will bring. On Monday, officials warned El Niño conditions are predicted to bring a warmer and drier spring, which could lead to an early and intense wildfire season. 

"The climate crisis is here and we are feeling the impacts of climate change. It is no secret that we did not accumulate the snowpack that we were hoping for in many parts of the province," Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma said at a news conference about wildfire conditions Monday.

Already, crews battled two new wildfires in the Okanagan over the weekend. One quickly spread after someone was burning debris, with a local fire chief telling CTV News Vancouver he's "never seen a fire get that big that fast in the middle of March." 

But parts of B.C. are expected to get a break in the warm weather in the coming days, as the province returns to more typical March weather. The forecast for Vancouver, for example, shows high temperatures will hover between 10 C and 12 C into next week, with rain in the forecast for several days starting Wednesday night.

The list of maximum temperature records broken on Monday according to Environment Canada's preliminary data includes:

• Blue River area: New record of 18.8 C, old record of 14.9 C set in 2019
• Cache Creek area: New record of 22.4 C, old record of 20.6 C set in 1947
• Campbell River area: New record of 17.5 C, old record of 17 C set in 1983
• Clearwater area: New record of 19.3 C, old record of 17.8 C set in 1930
• Clinton area: New record of 16.9 C, old record of 12.7 C set in 2019
• Cranbrook area: New record of 18 C, old record of 16.3 C set in 1985
• Creston area: New record of 18 C, old record of 17 C set in 2021
• Grand Forks area: New record of 20.7 C, old record of 20.6 C set in 1947
• Kelowna area: New record of 19.4 C, old record of 17.8 C set in 1932
• Lytton area: New record of 20.1 C, old record of 19.4 C set in 1947
• Merritt area: New record of 22.5 C, old record of 17.1 C set in 2021
• Nakusp area: New record of 14 C, old record of 13.5 C set in 2019
• Osoyoos area: New record of 22 C, old record of 20 C set in 1990
• Pemberton area: New record of 20.7 C, old record of 17.6 C set in 2019
• Prince George area: New record of 13.9 C, old record of 13.4 C set in 1997
• Princeton area: New record of 21.6 C, old record of 19.4 C set in 1947
• Puntzi Mountain area: New record of 15.5 C, old record of 13.4 C set in 2019
• Sparwood area: New record of 17.6 C, old record of 13.9 C set in 1972
• Tatlayoko Lake area: New record of 17.5 C, old record of 17.2 C set in 2019
• Trail area: New record of 22.8 C, old record of 17.4 C set in 2021
• Vernon area: New record of 19.8 C, old record of 16.7 C set in 1910
• Williams Lake area: New record of 15.9 C, old record of 15.1 C set in 2019
• Yoho (National Park) area: New record of 12.6 C, old record of 11.7 C set in 1930

Environment Canada says its weather-record summary "may contain preliminary or unofficial information and does not constitute a complete or final report."

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel and Kaija Jussinoja