Milder winter temperatures and consistent rain will likely continue to start the new year in B.C.’s Lower Mainland, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The government weather agency says the average temperature was 1.9 degrees Celsius higher than normal in Vancouver last month. Rain fell on 21 of 31 days in December, with total precipitation levels 15 per cent higher than normal.
Meteorologist Chris Doyle says these trends are likely continue.
“At this point what were seeing for the month of January is a continuation of generally warmer than average conditions, generally some what wetter than normal conditions,” he said.
The Climate Prediction Center, based in the U.S., had forecasted a La Nina winter, which is a climate phenomenon resulting from the flow of warmer water in the Pacific Ocean that typically brings lower temperatures and higher precipitation.
Doyle says that could begin this month, but it’s not expected to last very long.
“We get into La Nina …