Victoria is known for its summer droughts. It is the driest major city in Canada - by far - during the summer months, with an average of 47 mm of rain during June to August combined. It is also common to get long stretches with little or no rainfall during the summer. On average, Victoria gets 31 consecutive days with no measurable rainfall each summer, and 42 consecutive days with less than 1 mm of rainfall.
However, the past three months have really been extraordinary. From July 19 to October 20 - a period of 94 days - there have only been 3 days each with just a barely measurable 0.2 mm of rain (August 10, September 4, and September 28) at Victoria Gonzales. That's a total of just 0.6 mm of rain in the past 3 months! The nearby weather station at the University of Victoria has been even drier, with just 0.4 mm of rain over the same period.
This has been the driest 90-day period ever recorded at Victoria Gonzales, as shown in the chart below, easily beating the old record of 2.8 mm, from May 25 to August 22, 1951. Note that most of these record dry periods tend to be centered on July and August, the two driest months in Victoria. However, 3 of the 11 driest periods, include this year's, have extended into mid-October.
This record-breaking drought has not just impacted Victoria; it has affected all of southwestern B.C. The chart below shows the total rainfall for various locations in southern B.C. over the past 3 months. As is often the case, Victoria has been the driest location, but most locations have been extraordinarily dry. Keep in mind, that normal rainfall during this period is 91 mm at Victoria Gonzales and 231 mm at Vancouver Harbour.
Victoria Gonzales Daily Max & Min vs. normal |