October featured rain, wind and an isolated pocket of cold conditions in the Nanaimo area (file photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

average October

Wind and rain cap typical Nanaimo October, blustery conditions expected this month

Nov 4, 2025 | 4:21 PM

NANAIMO — What started as a typical October weather-wise got a bit more interesting after the Thanksgiving weekend across the mid-Island and much of coastal B.C.

Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said despite some cooler and wetter conditions near the end of the month, October turned out to be fairly average.

“The mean temperature recorded at the (Nanaimo) airport in Cassidy was 9.4 degrees (Celsius), the normal mean temperature is 9.9, so about half a degree below normal. Similar if we move a little further up the island into the Comox area, the mean temperature 9.9, really about point three degree anomaly for them.”

A number of Island communities also set new daily cold temperature records around the same time snow was seen on Mt. Benson’s upper slopes for the first time this season.

Snow was falling at the top of Mt. Benson on Oct. 12, with the Nanaimo airport recording a temperature of -0.2 degrees the next night. (Submitted)

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Port Alberni tied its record of -2.2 set in 1966 on Oct. 13, and beat the 1952 cold record of -2.2 the following night when the temperature dipped to to -2.6.

Also on Oct. 14, Qualicum Beach reached -1.0, beating the old mark of -0.5 set in 1992, while Campbell River went down to -2.7, a half a degree cooler than in 1969.

A pair of atmospheric river storms arrived later in the month, bringing high winds and rain, prompting weather warnings for much of the Island, save for the Nanaimo area, said Proctor.

“Total precipitation at (Nanaimo airport) recorded at 129.6 millimetres, versus a normal of 102.2, and at Comox, 180.2 millimetres recorded versus a normal of 125.4….it’s about 127 per cent of normal at Nanaimo, and 144 per cent of normal precipitation in the Comox area.”

Despite the above-average rain, Proctor said drought concerns remain for now as a more “normal” fall and winter weather season is expected this year.

He said high winds will also likely continue in November, expected to pick up overnight on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and continue until at least Thursday, accompanied by more rain.

“We saw a lot of wind through the month of October, and it does look like that’s what we’re going to be seeing in this one. I would expect to see these sort of systems rolling in every two or three days we’ll probably see another system coming in. Pretty typical November conditions is what it’s looking like.”

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