If you thought last month was unusually chilly in our area, you’re right.
According to a roundup from the Southeast Fire Centre, based at the regional airport in Castlegar, a new record was set for the coolest mean April temperature, which is the average of all daily highs and lows. At 5.8 degrees, it was three degrees below normal.
Daily low records were also set on the 13th (when it got down to minus-6) and the 14th. But the all-time record low for the month of minus-7.5 from 1979 remained intact.
Forecaster Jesse Ellis says a cool northwesterly flow typical of a La Nina pattern was responsible.
Total precipitation was also below normal for the third month in a row: the 36.8 mm of rain and 0.4 cm of snow was only 63 per cent of what we typically receive.
Ellis said average wind speeds were also about 15 per cent greater than historical norms. Gusty wind is common under northwesterly flow.