11 more temperature records fall in B.C. as warm stretch continues

An unseasonably warm December continued across much of B.C. on Saturday, when 12 high temperature records were tied or broken, including one that stood for 128 years.

An unseasonably warm December continued across much of B.C. on Saturday, when 12 high temperature records were tied or broken, including one that stood for 128 years.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the mercury rose to 10.2 C in Quesnel, beating the city’s previous Dec. 30 high of 8.3 C recorded way back in 1895.

Saturday was the fourth day in a row at least one century-old temperature record fell in the province. On Friday, Victoria Harbour saw temperatures rise the highest in 119 years. On Thursday, Prince George, Quesnel and Vernon all broke records that had stood for more than 100 years, while on Wednesday, Victoria surpassed a record from 1922.

The warmest record-setting temperature on Saturday was recorded in West Vancouver, where it hit 14.5 C, surpassing its previous record-high from 1980 by four degrees.

The milder-than-usual weather brought on by El Niño has put a damper on the holiday season for skiers and snowboarders in southern B.C.

Mountains in the Okanagan have seen far less snow than normal for this time of year, such as Apex Mountain Resort in Penticton. The resort’s general manager told CTV News on Saturday the mountain currently has a 50-centimetre base, compared to a typical 150-centimetre base.

On Whistler Blackcomb, just over half of the resort’s runs were in operation Sunday.