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It wasn't just you: Prince George shatters 41-year-old temperature record

Six other stations in B.C. saw record-breaking cold temperatures
Jess Balzer
Jess Balzer
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(via Pixabay)

You aren't wrong, it was extremely cold this morning in Prince George (Jan. 15).

Environment Canada Meteorologist Matt Macdonald says a temperature of -44.4 C was recorded at 8 a.m. today, which shattered the previous record of -41.2 on Jan. 15, 1979.

"Records in Prince George began way back in 1912 so that's a good period of record, it's almost 110 years so some of the other stations have only been recording since the 1970's and you break a record there so you're like 'oh you know, that's interesting' but an over 100-year-old record, that's pretty big," he told PrinceGeorgeMatters.

There were also six other stations around B.C. that shattered winter temperatures today: 

  • Bella Bella: -12.8 C (previous extreme -7.6 C in 2012 with recording beginning in 1977)
  • Burns Lake: -44.1 C (previous extreme -41.1 C in 1950 with recording beginning in 1949)
  • Clinton: -33.3 C (previous extreme -29.8 C in 2005 with recording beginning in 1973)
  • Prince George: -44.4 C (previous extreme -41.2 C in 1979 with recording beginning in 1912)
  • Puntzi Mountain: -48.8 C (previous extreme -37.4 C in 2005 with recording beginning in 1959)
  • Quesnel: -41.9 C (previous extreme of -41.1 C in 1916 with recording beginning in 1983) 
  • Talayoko Lake: -35.4 C (previous extreme of -35 C in 1950 with recording beginning in 1930)

But have no fear, it is about to get warmer after this deep freeze.

MacDonald says yesterday and last night (Jan. 15) were the coldest days of the stretch of arctic air 

"We're going to slowly start rebounding in the next few days," he said.

"Thursday (Jan. 16), we're aiming for a high of -23 and the low on Thursday night is -26 and then the real warming up comes on Sunday. We've been in this arctic airmass since Saturday really and the flow is going to shift to the southwest which will bring us much milder seasonal air." 

MacDonald adds arctic masses can last weeks on end, pointing to last February in Prince George when a swing of cold air hovered over the city for almost six weeks.