If you thought March was gloomy, dreary and lacking in sunshine, you are right.
Since Environment Canada started keeping records in 1951, this March was the gloomiest on record. Global BC meteorologist Mark Madryga says total sunshine in March reached a mere 70.5 hours, roughly half of the long term average of 135 hours.
March also broke a 61-year-old rainfall record, when 29.6 millimetres fell at the Vancouver Airport on one day.
In total in March, 206 millimetres of rain fell at the Vancouver Airport, including 5.6 centimetres of snow.
Madryga says this was well above the average of 115 millimetres but it ended as the third-wettest March since rainfall records began in 1937.
“Overall, it was basically the dreariest March on record,” says Madryga.
Sadly, he adds, April has begun in a similar fashion and although there will be occasional days with breaks in the rain over the next 10 days, it will remain quite showery, cool and unsettled.