March heatwave sets 32 new temperature records across BC

It was just last week when much of the province endured a fresh snowfall in the middle of March.

However, weather trends appear to have suddenly shifted, with a mini-March heatwave now taking over the province.

A whopping 32 record high temperature marks were eclipsed on Monday, March 18, with thermometres soaring pass 20°C in many regions across the province.

32 temperature records were broken yesterday, 18th March, across #BC and the #Yukon. Click the link for details. https://t.co/1yqisRyNbq

— ECCC Weather British Columbia (@ECCCWeatherBC) March 19, 2019

Here’s a look at the towns and cities that saw historic high temperatures:

• Abbotsford: 23°C (Previous record 19.2°C, set in 1996)
• Cassiar: 10.3°C (Previous record 6°C, set in 1981)
• Chetwynd: 15.5°C (Previous record 13.9°C, set in 2015)
• Chilliwack: 22.8°C (Previous record 20°C, set in 1896)
• Clinton: 12.4°C (Previous record 7.9°C, set in 2007)
• Dease Lake: 12.6°C (Previous record 9.7°C, set in 1995)
• Esquimalt: 18.3°C (Previous record 17.2°C set in 1914)
• Fort Nelson: 16.6°C (Previous record 10.6°C, set in 1960)
• Hope: 22.8°C (Previous record 20.6°C, set in 1947)
• Hope Slide area: 15.2°C (Previous record 14°C, set in 1983)
• Mackenzie: 12.1°C (Previous record 10.7°C , set in 2018)
• Malahat: 18.5°C (Previous record 17°C, set in 1990)
• Masset: 15°C, tied with record set in 1900
• Muncho Lake area: 13.9°C (Previous record 10°C, set in 1995)
• Nanaimo: 18.5°C (Previous record 16.1°C set in 1928)
• Pemberton 17.6°C (Previous record 16.5°C, set in 1988)
• Pitt Meadows: 21.1°C (Previous record 20.7°C, set in 1996)
• Port Alberni: 21.4°C (Previous record 20°C, set in 1911)
• Powell River: 16.5°C (Previous record 15.6°C, set in 1947)
• Prince Rupert: 16.5°C (Previous record 15.3°C, set in 1981)
• Sechelt: 18°C (Previous record 14°C, set in 1981)
• Squamish: 23.5°C (Previous record 18°C, set in 1996)
• Victoria Gonzales: 18.8°C (Previous record 17.2°C set in 1914)
• Victoria Harbour: 17.1°C (Previous record 14.6°C set in 2016)
• White Rock: 20.6°C (Previous record 19.9°C, set in 1996)
• Williams Lake area: 14.9°C (Previous record 12.2°C set in 1997)

The hottest spot in Canada was in Squamish, B.C., where the mercury hit a very pleasant temp of 23.5°C.

There's potential for even more records to be set this week, with Environment Canada predicting several more days of warm temps.

Tomorrow, March 20, is the first day of spring!