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Wet West Kootenay weather continues

Last month was the wettest November in West Kootenay since 1984 — and we appear to be headed for a record year.
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November continued a 2012 trend of wet weather in West Kootenay.

Last month was the wettest November in West Kootenay since 1984 — and we appear to be headed for a record year.

Monthly statistics compiled by Southeast Fire Centre forecasters Ron Lakeman and Jesse Ellis show we received more than 136 millimetres of rain and 26 centimetres of snow, 175 per cent of normal.

The dampest stretch was between the 17th and 21st, when 83.5 mm of precipitation fell, mostly as rain, but also wet snow on the 19th. The 29th and 30th were also “excessively wet,” with Pacific frontal systems drenching the region in another 39 mm of rain.

However, the monthly snowfall was less than the typical 37 cm we receive. Most of the snow we did get melted on contact. The only significant dump was 5.6 cm on the night of the 11th.

The all-time record for rain in November of 155 mm was set in 1983, while the record overall precipitation for the month of almost 187 mm was set in 1973.

The total amount of precipitation so far this year is “well above normal,” the forecasters said. “A near normal amount of precipitation in December will make 2012 the wettest calendar year on record.”

The average temperature for the month was 1.8 degrees warmer than normal, the mildest since 2001. Record daily high temperatures of 16.8 and 14.3 degrees were set on the 5th and 7th respectively.