This winter cracked the top ten for warmest on record in Nanaimo, keeping with weather experts' predictions the next few years will be among the hottest in human history. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

weather trends

Nanaimo-area exiting one of the warmest winters on record

Mar 3, 2026 | 9:57 AM

NANAIMO — This winter was one of the warmest on record in the region, keeping pace with weather experts’ predictions we’ll see some of the hottest years on record between now and 2030.

With a mean temperature of 4.9 degrees Celcius, the months of December, January, and February were about 0.7 degrees above normal, making it the ninth warmest for those months, with records dating back to 1902.

Meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada Matt Loney said February followed the trend set by December and January.

“The mean temperature in the Nanaimo area, we had 5.0 degrees (Celsius) recorded, and that’s a little bit above normal. 4.3 is the normal, so about .7 degrees above normal, and that slots into the normal category of what we would call it.”

December 2025 was the fifth-warmest December ever in Nanaimo, with January at least a degree warmer than average, with multiple daily heat records broken in February in Nanaimo and in Oceanside.

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Campbell River recorded its sixth warmest winter on record, while Comox’s winter was the fifth warmest in its history.

Nanaimo only got about 80 per cent of the average rainfall this winter as well with 418.3 millimetres total falling, which is still in the normal range.

Last month, 89.4 millimetres of rain or snow fell at the Nanaimo Airport, about 70 per cent of normal, placing it as the 53rd driest February since 1892.

Some areas in Nanaimo at higher elevations woke up to a bit of snow sticking to the ground on Feb. 7, but it might be all the Harbour City will see this winter.

Loney said an atmospheric river-like weather system bringing warmer temperatures and precipitation is set to arrive Tuesday and continue into the weekend, with the central coast and lower portions of Vancouver Island getting hit the hardest.

From there, he says conditions should be near normal with the chance of slightly higher-than-normal temperatures for the rest of March and into the first part of April.

While spring doesn’t officially arrive for another few weeks, Loney said the chances of snow at this time of year is very low.

However, he won’t count out the chance mid-Island residents will make it through the season without shovelling any snow.

“This time of year, it can snow in southern Alaska, so if that air mass can creep down towards the southern portions of B.C., we can’t rule out the potential for snow. I don’t want to say that it’s going to happen, but I certainly don’t want to ruin it out, it’s too early to really tell.”

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