The temperatures Vancouver is currently experiencing might constitute a downright balmy winter day in, say, Saskatchewan or Northern Ontario, but they're more than just unusual for the famously mild South Coast—they're record breaking.
According to data posted to Reddit by user r/VancouverWxRecords and confirmed by Environment Canada, Friday's low of -6.8°C, which occurred at 2 a.m., is the lowest temperature recorded in Vancouver on Feb. 12 in more than 70 years.
The year 1949 still holds the title for the coldest Feb. 12 on record, when temperatures in Vancouver plunged to to a chilly -9.4°C.
But at earlier this morning, at around 1 a.m., Vancouver's windchill factor managed to bust the record for the windchilliest Feb. 12 since record-keeping began in 1953, when it felt like -11.4°C. That record was previously set in 2019, when conditions in the Lower Mainland felt like -6.9°C with the windchill.
As a frigid Arctic outflow continues to blow across B.C., more weather milestones could be reached in the coming days. If tomorrow's temperatures fail to surpass the forecasted high of 1°C, that would make Saturday the coldest Feb. 13 in Vancouver since 1949. The record for lowest daily maximum temperatures recorded in Vancouver on Feb. 13 was set nearly a century ago, in 1929, when temperatures in the city reached a freezing high of -7.2°C.
If temperatures feel more like -8°C with the windchill, as the forecast predicts, it would make Saturday the windchilliest Feb. 13 since record keeping began. Feb. 13, 1990 currently holds that title, when the wind chill forced temperatures down to -7.2°C.
Environment Canada's Arctic outflow warning remains in effect for the region on Friday, with frigid winds expected to continue through Saturday morning. However, temperatures will continue to warm slightly and moderate this weekend.
Vancouverites may also be treated to another rare sprinkling of snow this weekend, according to Environment Canada.
Saturday's daytime forecast calls for a 70 per cent chance of snowfall, while periods of snow are expected to fall overnight. Sunday's forecast calls for a chance of snow during the day and rain or snow at night.
Amidst the continued cold, the national weather agency warns B.C. residents to ensure shelter is available for pets and outdoor animals.
