It was a wild year for weather in 2012 as Chilliwack saw just one low temperature record set but an amazing 10 high temperature marks recorded.
Photograph by: Paul J. Henderson , Times - file
Last year Chilliwack residents experienced a 48 degree celsius (C) swing in temperature extremes, the wettest June since 1981 and the driest August and September on record.
The weather story in 2012 in Chilliwack was one of extremes, but mostly on the high end.
With 10 high temperature records and only one low one, the average mercury reading for the year was 0.36 C above normal, according to Environment Canada volunteer weather observer Roger Pannett.
Those temperatures continued the general warming trend that started in 1986, Pannett said in his year-end weather report.
"On 14 days hot maximum temperatures in excess of 30 C occurred, above the average seven days for the 11th consecutive year, a trend never previously observed," Pannett wrote.
A year ago, however, things were chilly and Chilliwack hit a low for the year of -14 C plus wind chill on Jan. 18.
Pannett said 2012 featured the coldest and wettest June since 1981, adding to the highest precipitation numbers since 1997. Four 24-hour rainfall records were broken in 2012, including the 13.1 millimetres (mm) on July 23, statistically the day that is usually the driest of the year.
After that summer dump of rain, Chilliwack had 80 straight days with minimal rainfall, making August and September the driest since local records were started in 1879.
At 178 days, it rained almost every other day in 2012, up from the 30-year average of 161 days. There were also 32 days of snow, up from the 18-day average.
