Record-breaking cold sets in across B.C.

Hot on the heels of a record-breaking warm October, winter is offering up some record-breaking cold days for November.

Thirteen temperature records were broken across B.C. on Wednesday. Global Okanagan meteorologist Peter Quinlan said it’s due to an arctic high-pressure system parked over the Rockies.

“(It) is funneling in the frigid air, pushing an arctic front south of the area,” Quinlan said. “The result has been record-breaking cold over the BC Interior.  Temperatures will start to warm as the front begins to retreat into the long weekend.”

2:25 Between Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon, there are well over 300 people sleeping outside in the cold

The oldest record broken was in Salmon Arm. The Shuswap city saw temperatures plunge to -12 C Wednesday, breaking a record of -10.6 C set in 1911.

The most extreme shift in weather happened in the Puntzi Mountain area where the temperature skated to 27.7 C breaking a record of -20.2 C set in 2003.

According to Environment Canada records, it seems that the last real cold snap like this at this time was in 1986, as that’s when most of the previous temperature records were broken.

Abbotsford 
New record of -4.6
Old record of -4.4  set in 1948

Blue River 
New record of -21 C
Old record of -15.3 C set in 1986

Burns Lake Area 
New record of -19.2 C
Old record of -19 C set in 1986

Clearwater Area  
New record of -13.6 C
Old record of -13.5 C set in 1986

Dawson Creek Area  
New record of -29.7 C
Old record of -28.9 C set in 1986

Mackenzie Area
New record of -26.6 C
Old record of -23.0 C set in 1986

Port Hardy Area  
New record of -6.4 C
Old record of -3.9 C set in 1973

Sechelt Area 
New record of -3 C
Old record of -1.8 C set in 2012

Sparwood Area  
New record of -21.4 C
Old record of -20.3 C set in 1986

Squamish Area  
New record of -3.8 C
Old record of -2.5 C set in 1986

Whistler Area 
New record of -11.3 C
Old record of -10.5 C set in 1986