BC Is Having Its Hottest December Weather On Record & Here's Why That's Actually Bad
The extreme weather continues!
Parts of B.C. are having their hottest December day on record, according to a meteorologist at The Weather Network.
Tyler Hamilton, who is based in Vancouver, said that a temperature of 20.4 C was recorded in the Okanagan on Wednesday, December 1.
In another post, he said that days over 20 C in Canada in December are "rare."
2021 strikes again: we have the warmest temperature on record for December in B.C. at 20.4\u00b0C for Summerland in the Okanagan. #BCHeat #BCStorm #BCFloodpic.twitter.com/1PYnjC4k90— Tyler Hamilton (@Tyler Hamilton) 1638390319
He added: "The last reliable instance I could find was December 6th, 1998 in Windsor, Ontario (Riverside), reaching 21.0°C."
But in an emergency press conference on Wednesday, Environment Canada's Warning Preparedness Meteorologist Armel Castellan explained why this heat could further complicate recovery efforts.
He said: "We're dealing with record-breaking heat. So an atmospheric river not only brings moisture but it brings heat and it's bringing it well above 3,000 metres, well above mountain top heights.
"So, very warm up high, a lot of snowmelt in addition to what we're seeing in terms of precipitation."
The weather in B.C. this year continues to break records. The province experienced Canada's hottest-ever recorded temperature during the summer, as Lytton reached a sweltering 46.6 C.
That extreme heat was then followed by devastating wildfires, including one that destroyed Lytton.
Then, in November, a parade of storms including several atmospheric river events have dumped unprecedented levels of rainfall on B.C., causing mudslides that have claimed the lives of several people.
The weather swept away some of the province's busiest highways and areas such as Abbotsford and Merritt were forced to issue evacuation orders to its residents as rivers breached their banks and flood water swept in.
It doesn't stop there, either. A long-range winter weather forecast from The Weather Network shows that even Vancouver, which is generally without too much snow, is set to receive "significant" totals this season.