Several decades-old temperature records fell across the Peace on Wednesday

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The warm airmass over most of B.C. caused a number of new high-temperature records to be set across the Peace Region on Wednesday, breaking some old records that were set decades ago.

While Fort St. John didn’t see a record broken, yesterday’s high of 19.4 degrees recorded at the North Peace Airport weather station was the exact same as the previous all-time high temperature for October 17^th, which was recorded the same year construction began on the Alaska Highway – 1942.

Grande Prairie’s previous all-time high temperature of 21.1 degrees on October 17^th also dated to 1942, and was broken yesterday afternoon when the mercury reached 21.5 degrees.

Dawson Creek saw temperatures break the 20-degree mark on Wednesday, and the 20.7 degrees recorded at the Dawson Creek Airport was over two degrees higher than the previous record high temperature of 18.5 degrees set in 1985.

Chetwynd also unofficially broke a high-temperature record on Wednesday, as the recorded high of 19.5 degrees exceeded the 17.8-degree high on that day in 1978.

Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan explained that the current weather pattern causing the high winds and above-average temperatures is caused by an excessively strong ridge of high pressure that has built up in the Gulf of Alaska.

The forecast is calling for daytime highs in Fort St. John to stay in double-digit territory for at least the next week.