A orange sunrise on Feb. 17 helped the Harbour City out of a mid-Feb cold slump, with the entire month right around average in terms of temperature and precipitation. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

average month

Despite a few cold nights, February weather back to relative normalcy for the mid-Island

Mar 1, 2024 | 4:58 PM

NANAIMO — Average temperatures and about normal precipitation was the weather story for last month, as the mid-Island settles into more seasonal conditions to start March.

Environment Canada meteorologist Derek Lee said despite some cooler overnight conditions mid-month, the weather in February was about typical for this time of year.

“Daytime and nighttime temperatures averaged out each day, so both day and night averaged out on one day. We had an average (temperature) of about 4.5 degrees (Celcius), the normal would have been 4.3 degrees.”

The temperature did manage to dip below zero a few times, like from Feb. 13-17 when it was below zero each night.

An overnight temperature of minus four on Feb. 26 contributed to a mix of rain and wet snow in higher elevations.

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Precipitation-wise, Nanaimo saw 80.4 millimetres of rain last month, about 70 per cent of the average amount of 114.3 millimetres.

While a bit drier than usual, Lee said it failed to break the top ten for driest February’s in the Harbour City.

One community up island did manage to set at least one new temperature benchmark.

“We really had just a continuation of that warmth at the end of January with the atmospheric river brought tropical air to Vancouver Island. On Feb. 1, the Qualicum Beach area sustained a high of 13.4 degrees for that day, and the previous extreme was 12 degrees from 1995.”

A cloudy ridge over Gabriola Island captures the last rays of sunlight on Feb. 26th, where temperatures dropped to minus four overnight, one of the coldest nights of the month for Nanaimo. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Lee and fellow meteorologists consider December to February as the “meteorological winter”, highlighted by slightly above-average temperatures and precipitation due to El Nino, putting it at number 19 for the warmest winters on record.

The average daytime temperature from Dec-Feb was 4.3 degrees, up from the average of 3.5 degrees, with 563.7 millimetres of perception, about 16 per cent higher than average.

Looking towards the “meteorological spring” of March, April, and May, Lee said they are fairly confident the above-average temperature trend will continue.

However, the amount of precipitation is always harder to predict.

“The precipitation forecast always has a poor skill, especially in springtime. But with that warm temperature possible in the next few months in spring of this year, it’s probably associated with the lingering effects of El Nino. El Nino should be waning off, but the lingering effects of El Nino will likely still bring the warmer-than-normal temperatures for this spring.”

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow