These B.C. cities are in line for one of their driest-ever Januarys
An unusually dry winter pattern continues along the West Coast—and there’s no end in sight
We’re in the midst of an extremely dry pattern across British Columbia, and the next few weeks don’t hold any promise for significant precipitation.
It’s exceptionally rare to see such a dry January across coastal B.C. Many communities are in line to record just a fraction of their normal precipitation for the month.
DON’T MISS: B.C. is enduring one of its driest Januarys on record
A precipitation deficit will rule the roost across B.C. through the final two weeks of January, a continuation of the unusually thirsty pattern we’ve seen build over the region throughout the month.
Vancouver has seen just 34 mm of rain so far this month through Jan. 19, making this the third-driest January on record in the city.
While it’s a far cry from the 162.1 mm of rain we’d typically see during the first month of the year, this month’s paltry total so far is about double what Vancouver saw during its all-time driest January back in 1949.
Things aren’t much better in Victoria or Comox, which are also on the board with their third-driest Januarys on record. This is the fourth-driest start to the year in Abbotsford, with Campbell River coming in with its fifth-driest January so far with just 62 mm of rainfall.
The dryness doesn’t stop at the coast, either. Kamloops has only seen 3 mm of rain so far this month, which isn’t far off the 2.6 mm that fell during the driest January way back in 1891. Rainfall totals are mired in the single digits in Golden and Cranbrook, as well.
There’s a little bit of moisture on the horizon—but it won’t be much.
Some light precipitation will move in toward the middle of the upcoming workweek. Although it won’t be much, it’ll give skiers and snowboarders a chance to enjoy some fresh powder.