Record highs in Victoria follow coldest January 12 in 55 years, Canada

Victoria, the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia, recorded its warmest January 29 ever with 15.3 °C (59.5 °F) at the Gonzales weather station, surpassing the previous record of 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) set in 1931. This record-breaking warmth follows closely on the heels of the coldest January 12 in 55 years.

The city of Victoria recently witnessed a dramatic shift in weather conditions, setting new temperature records across the region. On January 29, the Gonzales weather station in Victoria recorded the highest temperature of 15.3 °C (59.5 °F), breaking the previous daily record high of 13.3 °C (55.9 °F) set in 1931. This record-breaking temperature follows the coldest January 12 recorded at the same station in 55 years, when temperatures plunged to -11.5 °C (11.3 °F).

Other locations on Vancouver Island also experienced record-breaking warmth. The University of Victoria, Victoria Harbour, and the Hartland area all set new high-temperature records. In the Malahat region, the temperature reached 14.2 °C (57.6 °F), exceeding the previous record of 12.6 °C (54.7 °F) established in 1992.

Duncan and Nanaimo, further up the Island, recorded even higher temperatures, both reaching 16.5 °C (61.7 °F). These temperatures broke the previous records of 14.5 °C (58.1 °F) and 14.6 °C (58.3 °F), respectively, both set in 1995.

Environment Canada meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau attributed the recent record warmth to a series of atmospheric rivers that brought warm air from the tropics, along with significant rainfall. This contrasts with the record cold in early January, which was due to an arctic front.

References:

¹ Island basks in record-high temperatures after cold snap – Times Colonist – January 30, 2024

Featured image: Satellite image of Victoria, B.C., Canada on January 15, 2024. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers