February is shaping up to be the coldest month of love on record.
Since the start of the month, temperatures have consistently been 5 to 10 C below normal, said Matt MacDonald, meteorologist with Environment Canada.
The coldest February on record had an average temperature of -7.8 C which was set in 1975. February’s current average for the month in Kelowna is -8.3 C.
That average monthly temperature may bump up a few degrees looking forward into next week, which Environment Canada is predicting colder than average temperatures, but this month is expected to be one of the coldest on record, MacDonald said.
This contrasts December’s and January’s temperatures, which were warmer than average. December was recorded as being the second warmest recorded.
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“December and January were what we expected with an El Nino winter with, milder conditions, but there’s no guarantee with an El Nino,” MacDonald said.
“It’s the perfect example of how things can go sideways.”
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With a prolonged period of arctic air blowing across the province, March temperatures are expected to be warmer, but it’ll be a slow return to normal, he said.
“We won’t see bombing spring temperatures anytime soon.”
The rest of the province has also experienced cooler than average temperatures, with many places recording 2019 as in the top spots on record.
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