Above average temperatures and a lack of precipitation ended 2023 in a similar way it began. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

el nino

Warm and dry weather pattern continues to finish off 2023

Jan 2, 2024 | 12:21 PM

NANAIMO — The last month of 2023 continued the weather pattern Vancouver Island saw for much of the year: warm and dry conditions.

Dec. 2023 ranked as the 13th warmest December on record for Nanaimo, with temperatures 2.4 degrees (Celsius) higher than average, according to Environment Canada.

Meteorologist Armel Castellan said despite the noticeably mild month, Nanaimo actually had a cooler month compared to other places on the Island.

“Further south in Victoria and further north in Comox/Campbell River, the anomaly was a little bit stronger and those locations ended up in the top four, top five warmest on record. Nanaimo, 13th warmest dating back to 1901.”

Castellan said 2023 will go down as the 33 driest year on record for the Harbour City, only seeing about 80 per cent of the area’s average precipitation.

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Throughout the year, 941 millimetres of precipitation fell, with the average around 1,165 millimetres.

“We are dealing with a drier pattern overall when we look at the entire year. That’s true right across the province. We do have locations in the Interior that are the driest on record, which is not right here on the Island, but this is going to have some obvious big implications going forward into the spring and summer.”

However, the warm and dry weather is expected to continue as we settle into the El Nino system, with a quick drop in temperatures expected for this weekend (Jan. 6-7), with the possibility of snow falling near sea-level overnight Saturday. Castellan said that’s when weather patterns are expected to become more seasonal.

“Vancouver Island in particular looking to have extremely high probability for staying above seasonal. Despite a relative cool trend coming up here in the coming five or six days, and lasting maybe a better part of a week, we are also anticipating that things will warm up and probably stay relatively warm throughout most of January and February, and probably March as well.”

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow