Alberta, B.C. and Yukon break daily temperature records

The city of Edmonton skyline is shown on Wednesday, Feb.15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

An upward trend of record-breaking daily temperatures is reaching regions throughout Canada, including areas of Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon.

Here’s the latest weather records broken this weekend, according to Environment Canada data.

Alberta

Environment Canada’s weather summary says that March 16 set daily maximum temperature records throughout Alberta, including in Banff, Beaverlodge and Edmonton.

Banff, for instance, had a previous record of 13.9 C for March 16, set in 1947. Temperatures in this area have been recorded since 1887,

On Saturday, Banff reached 15.3 C, according to the data.

Beaverlodge, near the British Columbia border, reached 14.4 C, surpassing the previous record of 13.5 C, set in 1985. (Temperature records for Beaverlodge have been kept since 1912.)

Edmonton also saw record-breaking temperatures of 10.9 C, with the previous record standing at 8.8 C, set in 1981. (Environment Canada has recorded temperatures in Edmonton since 1959.)

British Columbia

Environment Canada also reported that a ridge of high pressure welcomed a temperature spike in British Columbia, with many areas of the province seeing records broken on March 16.

Abbotsford, east of Vancouver saw a new record of 22.6 C, with the previous record -- set in 1947 -- standing at 22.2 C. Records for this area have been kept since 1944, according to Environment Canada.

A notable jump in temperatures hit Bella Bella, north of Vancouver Island with the new daily temperature record reaching 20.7 C -- significantly higher than the previous record of 15.2 C, which was set in 1988. (Records in this area have been kept since 1977.)

Burns Lake Area reached a temperature record of 16.1 C, smashing the previous record of 11.3 C, which was set in 1992. (Records here have been kept since 1949.)

Areas including Squamish, Whistler, West Vancouver and Victoria also saw record breaking temperatures on Saturday.

Squamish reached 23 degrees Celsius (with the previous record at 17.3 C, set in 1983), Whistler reached 16.3 C (over the previous record of 14.0 C, set in 1985) and Victoria reached 19.0 C (over the previous record of 18.3 C, set in 1947).

West Vancouver saw a new daily temperature record of 18.7 C, surpassing the previous record of 15.5 C, set in 1983.

New Brunswick

Environment Canada reported that March 16 also saw increased temperatures in New Brunswick, with the Grand Manan Area seeing temperatures that tied that previous record set in 2010 (8.5 C).

Records in Grand Manan have been kept since 1962.

Yukon

Numerous areas throughout the Yukon saw a daily temperature record on March 16, including Burwash Landing Area, Carmacks Area, Faro Area, Haines Junction Area and Kluane Lake Area.

Burwash reached 7.9 C on Saturday, beating the previous record of 5.9 C, set in 2018. (Records here have been kept since 1966.)

Similarly, Carmacks also surpassed a record last set in 2018, reaching 10.2 C, a jump over the previous high of 9.4 C. (Records here have been kept since 1963.)

Faro Area reached 10.3 C (with the previous record standing at 7.7 C, set in 2018), Haines Junction saw 11.8 C (beating the 2018 record of 7.7 C) and Kluane Lake Area reached 7.4 C (passing the 2018 record of 5.9 C).

Environment Canada notes that record reports derive from a selection of historical stations in each geographic area, and that their data “does not constitute a complete or final report.”