Unseasonable spring: Greater Victoria sets low temperature records 2 days in a row

A view of downtown Victoria from Mt. Tolmie. (CTV News)

Greater Victoria set a low temperature record Friday for the second day in a row.

Temperatures at Victoria International Airport nearly reached the freezing point, dropping as far as 0.8 C, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. That was low enough to break the previous record for May 13, which was 1.7 C, set in 1964.

Friday's record low followed the one set on Thursday, which was much warmer, but still an all-time low for the Victoria area, where records have been kept since 1914. 

Thursday's record low was 10.6 C, a full degree lower than the previous May 12 record of 11.7 C.

Two other parts of the province experienced record lows on Friday: The Malahat area saw a new record of 2 C, beating a previous record of 2.8 C set in 2006, and the Bella Bella area saw temperatures reach -0.2 C, eclipsing the previous record of 0.6 C, also from 2006.

Though the temperature data is considered preliminary, Environment Canada meteorologists have previously told CTV News that this is because additional data may still be collected, not because of concerns about the accuracy of the data already released.

The recent minimum temperature records reflect B.C.'s ongoing, unseasonably cold spring season, and Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan told CTV News Vancouver earlier this week that residents of the South Coast can expect the cool weather to continue. 

"We're not looking at a big warm up," he said, noting that the current weather pattern is due to a deep, low-pressure system that has enveloped most of western North America.

"We're lagging behind those regular seasonal values as a result of having an open door to the Pacific, dousing parts of southwest B.C. and into the Interior."