These B.C. cities broke century-old low temperature records Friday

Dozens of temperature records were broken in B.C. on Friday, as an "entrenched" Arctic air mass lingered over the province, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

In an update early Saturday morning, the weather agency identified two types of records that had been set: records for lowest maximum temperature observed on Jan. 12, and records for lowest minimum temperature on that date.

There were 32 records set in the former category and 24 in the latter, with many communities seeing both their lowest-ever highs and lowest-ever lows for Jan. 12 Friday.

RECORD LOW MAXIMUMS

The oldest record eclipsed Friday in this category was set in Penticton 115 years ago, back in 1909. On Jan. 12 that year, the mercury never rose higher than -15 C. This year, it never got higher than -18.6 C, beating the old record by more than three degrees.

Other records that stood for more than a century were broken Friday in Princeton – where the high for the day of -25.1 C was lower than 113-year-old previous record of -23.9 C set in 1911 – as well as Cranbrook and Creston.

Both of those communities broke records that had stood since 1916, 108 years ago. Cranbrook saw the temperature stay below -23 C all day, breaking the previous record of -21.7 C. Creston's previous record was -15 C, and the new record is -16.9 C.

The remaining 28 records for lowest daily maximum temperature on Jan. 12 set Friday were as follows:

• Abbotsford area: New record of -10.9 C, old record of -9.4 C set in 1950
• Bella Bella area: New record of -6.6 C, old record of -1.6 C set in 2007
• Blue River area: New record of -22.6 C, old record of -21.7 C set in 1998
• Castlegar area: New record of -14.4 C, old record of -10.6 C set in 1998
• Clinton area: New record of -25.3 C, old record of -17.6 C set in 2017
• Comox area: New record of -6.9 C, old record of -6.7 C set in 1950
• Duncan area: New record of -6.9 C, old record of -4.4 C set in 1971
• Hope area: New record of -14.9 C, old record of -12.8 C set in 1971
• Lytton area: New record of -18.6 C, old record of 18.3 C set in 1971
• Mackenzie area: New record of -26.2 C, old record of -25 C set in 1972
• Malahat area: New record of -9.1 C, old record of -3.2 C set in 1998
• Masset area: New record of -6 C, old record of -4.4 C set in 1953
• Merritt area: New record of -23.6 C, old record of -20 C set in 1993
• Nakusp area: New record of -14.9 C, old record of -12.2 C set in 1971
• Nanaimo area: New record of -6.3 C, old record of -5.6 C set in 1950
• Osoyoos area: New record of -16.3 C, old record of -11.7 C set in 1971
• Puntzi Mountain area: New record of -27.3 C, old record of -23.9 C set in 1971
• Qualicum Beach area: New record of -5.7 C, old record of -4.4 C set in 1971
• Sechelt area: New record of -5.4 C, old record of -3.9 C set in 1971
• Sparwood area: New record of -26.8 C, old record of -22.2 C set in 1971
• Squamish area: New record of -9.6 C, old record of -3.3 C set in 1969
• Tatlayoko Lake area: New record of -23.2 C, old record of -22.8 C set in 1971
• Tofino area: New record of -2.2 C, old record of -1.1 C set in 1971
• Trail area: New record of -14.1 C, old record of -12.8 C set in 1930
• Victoria area: New record of -6.4 C, old record of -3.3 C set in 1971
• West Vancouver area: New record of -6.4 C, old record of -2.9 C set in 1998
• White Rock area: New record of -8.7 C, old record of -2.8 C set in 1963
• Yoho National Park area: New record of -30.8 C, old record of -28.3 set in 1971

RECORD LOW MINIMUMS

This category also includes some century-old records that were broken Friday.

Once again, Penticton broke the oldest record, barely dropping below the previous low of -22.8 C with a low of -22.9 C on Friday. The previous record for Jan. 12 had stood for 115 years, since 1909.

The Estevan Point area on Vancouver Island's west coast also hit its lowest temperature for Jan. 12 since 1909 on Friday, but it only tied the previous record of -6.7 C, according to Environment Canada.

The remaining 22 records for lowest overall temperature on Jan. 12 set Friday were:

• Abbotsford area: New record of -15.4 C, old record of -12.8 C set in 2007
• Bella Bella area: New record of -13.1 C, old record of -9.8 C set in 2020
• Clinton area: New record of -34.4 C, old record of -27 C set in 1993
• Creston area: New record of -24.2 C, old record of -22.8 C set in 1937
• Duncan area: New record of -12.8 C, old record of -11.7 C set in 1937
• Hope area: New record of -18.5 C, old record of -16.7 C set in 1971
• Lytton area: New record of -22.6 C, old record of -21.7 C set in 1971
• Malahat area: New record of -13.4 C, old record of -8.4 C set in 2007
• Nakusp area: New record of -23.1 C, old record of -16.6 C set in 1998
• Nanaimo area: New record of -14.8 C, old record of -10.3 C set in 1998
• Princeton area: New record of -36.9 C, old record of -34.4 C set in 1930
• Puntzi Mountain area: New record of -48.4 C, old record of -40.6 C set in 1969
• Qualicum Beach area: New record of -10.2 C, old record of -9 C set in 2017
• Salmon Arm area: New record of -27.6 C, old record of -26.5 C set in 2017
• Sechelt area: New record of -10.2 C, old record of -7.5 C set in 1998
• Squamish area: New record of -14 C, old record of -12.5 C set in 2017
• Tatlayoko Lake area: New record of -40 C, old record of -34.4 C set in 2007
• Trail area: New record of -23.1 C, old record of -20 C set in 1998
• Victoria area: New record of -10.7 C, old record of -9.4 C set in 1963
• West Vancouver area: New record of -12.8 C, old record of -10.4 C set in 1998
• White Rock area: New record of -14.4 C, old record of -11.7 C set in 1950
• Yoho National Park area: New record of -41.2 C, old record of -37.8 C set in 1969