Fraser Valley(Roger Pannett Environment Canada) – “Hot August Night” …. Neil Diamond.
Data recorded by Roger Pannett, Volunteer Weather Observer for Environment Canada at the City of Chilliwack.
Persistent and resilient high pressure ridges, since July 18th, continued throughout August. The 45 day and counting drought continues! The only light rainfall of the month occurred on August 3rd, during the passage of a weak upper level trough. With rainfall 89.5 % below normal it was the driest August since the 3.5 mm rainfall in 2017. (The driest August on record was the 0.3 mm in 1930.)
There were a total of 15 hot days with temperatures > 30.0°C, an August record breaking total. (The average is 2 hot days at > 30.0 °C with a + or – 2.7 day deviation.) Environment Canada issued multiple heat warnings.
On August 17th temperatures peaked at 34.6 °C (30% relative humidity) 11.2 °C above normal and equaling the 34.6 °C max in 2012. The minimum temperature for the month was 11.6 °C (+0.6 °C) on August 5th.
| Variable | August 2022 | 30 Year Average |
| Mean Maximum | 29.00C | 23.9 C |
| Mean Minimum | 16.3 C | 11.9 C |
| Mean Temperature | 22.65 C | 17.9 C |
| Rainfall | 6.8 mm | 64.8 mm |
| Snowfall | – | – |
| Total Precipitation | 6.8 mm | 64.8 mm |
| Days of Rain | 1 day | 9 days |
| Days of Snow | – | – |
| Total Days of Precipitation | 1 day | 9 days |
| Frosts | – | – |
| Relative humidity average | 63.81 % |
A total of 12 high temperature records were recorded, notably including many high overnight temperatures.
Date New Record Previous Record
August 19th High Min 22.0 ⁰C (+10.8⁰C). 20.0 °C in 2016.
August 20th High Min 18.9 ⁰C (+7.3 ⁰C) 18.3 ⁰C in1961.
August 21st High Min 19.0 ⁰C (+7.7 ⁰C) 17.8 ⁰C in 2018.
August 22nd High Min 17.0 C (+6.0 C) 16.0 C in 2004.
August 22nd High Mean 23.6 C (+6.0º C) 22.75 C in 2017.
August 24th High Mean 24.85 C (+7.55 C) 23.8 C in 2016
August 24th High Max 33.4 e C (+10.0 C) 33.2 C in 2016.
August 25th High Min 19.2 C (+8.3º C) 17.5 C in 1999.
August 30th High Max 34.2 C (+12.1º C) 32.2 C in 1918.
August 30th High Mean 25.3 C (+9.0ºC) 24.5 C in 1974
August 31st High Min 18.2º C (+7.3 C) 16.7 C in 2019.
August 31st High Mean 25.2 (+8.8 C) 22.6 C in 1998.
With mean temperatures an amazing 4.75°C above normal, it was the hottest August, plus the hottest of any month during the past 127 years of Chilliwack weather records.
It was the 22nd consecutive August with above average mean temperatures, including the 11th consecutive year with mean temperatures in excess of the (+ or -)1.2°C standard deviation.
Since 2012, August mean temperatures have been 1.88°C to 4.75 °C above normal, a warming trend never previously observed in the past 127 years.
For the 7th consecutive August, rainfall was below normal.
The City of Chilliwack 2022 precipitation total to date is 808.5mm on 120 days compared to the average of 1,047. 8 mm on 106 days.
In conclusion the summer months of 2022 are the 3rd hottest on record with a mean temperature of 20.64 °C, 3.36 °C above normal ( Summer months of 2015 were the hottest with a mean temperature of 21.11 °C, 3.81 °C above normal & 2021 the 2nd hottest at 21.06 °C, 3.76 °c above normal.)
For the 10th consecutive summer rainfall totals are below normal at 124.6 mm (average 188.7 mm). The driest summer on record was in 2017 with a rainfall total of only the 48.5 mm.
