Saturday, August 4, 2018

A warm and dry July in Victoria

July is typically the driest month of the year in Victoria, and this year it was particularly dry: there was no  measurable rainfall recorded at Victoria Gonzales during the entire month.  This is actually the 6th rain-free July at Victoria Gonzales, the others being 1914, 1922, 1926, 1958, and 1984.  There have also been another 6 Julys with less than 1 mm of rain recorded.

It was a dry month throughout the region, but most other locations outside Victoria recorded at least some rain, including the University of Victoria (0.9 mm), the Victoria Airport (2.2 mm), Vancouver Airport (5.4 mm), Vancouver Harbour (14.2 mm), and Seattle (1.3 mm).

July was also warmer than average in Victoria.  The mean temperature of 17.1 was more than a full degree above the 30-year average of 16.0, and it tied for the 7th warmest July at Victoria Gonzales.    The warmest July was 17.8 degrees in 2004.  The average daily maximum/minimum temperatures for July 2018 were 21.8/12.4 compared with the normal 20.4/11.7.  Although there was a lot of talk about an extended heat wave in the region this July, it never really got that hot along the water in Victoria.  The warmest temperature recorded at Victoria Gonzales for the month was 26.4 degrees, which is below the average monthly maximum temperature for July of 27.9 degrees.

Temperatures were considerably warmer in other parts of the region.  The mean temperature at the Victoria Airport was 18.3 degrees ( with a daily max/min of 24.3/12.4).  At the University of Victoria, the July mean temperature was 18.6 (25.5/11.7).  The table below shows the average daily maximum temperature for July 2018 at a number of locations around the region.  The official Environment Canada weather stations are bolded; the other stations are from the Victoria Schoolnet weather stations.  Average temperatures ranged from a cool 19 degrees at Trial Island lightstation (just off south Oak Bay) to a toasty 27.5 degrees at Butchart Gardens, near Brentwood Bay in Central Saanich. 

Average Daily Maximum Temperature - July 2018



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