Three communities broke records as Vancouver Island waved goodbye to an extraordinarily dry and mild month.
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor, warm weather records for December were either set or tied in Victoria, Comox and Campbell River.
Those mild temperatures — echoed throughout the region — and lack of any snow will stand out as the most distinctive memory from December 2023.
“December 2023 was mild with above normal temperatures, near normal rainfall and no snow,” noted Chris Carss, who records weather data for Environment and Climate Change Canada from his Chemainus home. “The lack of snowfall is becoming increasingly normal as regional and global temperatures continue to rise.”
The mean daily maximum temperature for the month was 8.7 C, way above the normal of 6.4. The mean minimum was twice the normal, going from 2.4 C to 4.9 C.
According to Carss’ observations, Dec. 1-5 had periods of rain with near normal temperatures rising to above normal; Dec. 6-8 was partly cloudy and dry with above normal temperatures dropping to near normal; Dec. 9-10 saw rain with near normal temperatures; Dec. 11-12 was partly cloudy and dry with near normal temperatures; and Dec. 13-21 had periods of rain with near normal temperatures rising to above normal.
Meanwhile, Dec. 22-23 was partly cloudy and dry with above normal temperatures dropping to near normal; Dec. 24-30 saw periods of rain with near normal temperatures rising to above normal; and Dec. 31 was partly cloudy and dry with above normal temperatures.
Following is a breakdown of Carss’ statistics for the month:
Temperature
Mean maximum 8.7 C, normal 6.4 C.
Mean minimum 4.9 C, normal 2.4 C.
Extreme maximum 12 C on Dec. 4 and 5.
Extreme minimum 0 C on Dec. 23.
Precipitation
Total days with precipitation 20 (including mixed weather days), normal 21.
Total accumulated rainfall 217.2 mm, normal 226.9 mm.
Total accumulated snowfall 0 cm, normal 19.4 cm.
Total accumulated precipitation 217.2 mm, normal 246.3 mm.
Other Statistics
Days mostly or partly sunny and dry 7, normal 5.
Days with mixed weather 5.
Total days mostly or partly sunny (including mixed weather days) 12.
On Thetis Island, Keith Rush recorded 194.9 mm of precipitation for December at his Foster Point Road residence. That’s well below the 241.3 mm mark from December 2022.
Total precipitation for all of 2023 on Thetis was 1,008.1 mm that’s just slightly below the 2022 total of 1,026.4 mm.
Looking ahead, “January is expected to see similar or somewhat less rainfall than December and continuing mild weather with temperatures averaging about two degrees above normal,” Carss pointed out. “Rain can be expected on about half the days of the month with only occasional sunny breaks during the other 50 per cent of the month that doesn’t receive any rain.”
—with a file from The Canadian Press
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