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Figure 6.1 – Map showing the observed rate of warming that has occurred across British Columbia between 1900 and
2013 by bioregion. The greatest increases have been in the Northern Interior whereas the lowest rate of increase to the
average annual temperature to date has been in the Strait of Georgia region at a rate of 0.8° C per century.
Source: Strait of Georgia Data Centre, Pacific Salmon Foundation

Air Temperature
Figure 6 .1 depicts the annual average temperature higher elevations (CRD 2017) . This will have implica-
changes in degrees Celsius between 1900 and 2013 tions for our snowpack and river flows as detailed
throughout different regions of BC . The greatest below .
increases in air temperatures have occurred in the The record shattering ‘heat dome’ event that
central and northern parts of the Province . Air blanketed an extensive area of the Pacific Northwest
temperatures in the Eastern and Southern Vancouver for about a week in June 2021 would have been
Island regions have been relatively stable in the virtually impossible without human-caused climate
past, but are expected to become warmer and change (Phillip et al . 2021) . The magnitude and
possibly more variable into the future . duration of this event has been linked to extensive
The warming experienced to date has been most ecosystem damage . It was estimated that over a
noticeable for winter night-time minimum tempera- billion intertidal creatures were killed by the extreme
tures . This trend is expected to continue . Projections heat . Summer heat waves like this will become more
for the Capital Regional District indicate that we will frequent and intense (IPCC 2021), especially in lower
rarely have days that dip below freezing except at elevations and valleys (CRD 2017) .

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