Temperature records shattered in the Kootenays on Tuesday
Tuesday 10 June marked a historic day for temperature extremes in the Kootenays, as a late spring heatwave set new records across the Southern Interior of British Columbia. The heat was particularly intense in Trail, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Nelson and Sparwood, where Environment Canada confirmed that records dating back to 2015 were surpassed.
Trail, already known for its warm climate, became the hottest location in the region with a staggering 35.6 °C (96.1 °F). This surpassed the previous high of 33.6 °C (92.5 °F) set a decade earlier, making it an unprecedented early June event.
In Castlegar and Nelson, both communities registered 34.8 °C (94.6 °F), eclipsing the 2015 benchmark of 32.9 °C (91.2 °F). This jump of nearly two degrees signals an accelerating pattern of heat anomalies already witnessed earlier this month.
The Cranbrook area also experienced an exceptional spike, with the thermometer climbing to 33.6 °C (92.5 °F), breaking the former mark by more than three degrees—a highly unusual deviation for the area, which typically sees milder early summer temperatures.
Further east in Sparwood, temperatures reached 30.2 °C (86.4 °F), surpassing the prior June 10 record of 27.3 °C (81.1 °F). Although cooler than neighbouring communities, this sharp rise highlights the regional spread of the heatwave, affecting both valleys and elevated plateaus.
This extreme heat followed an already scorching Monday, when multiple communities across the Southern Interior registered some of the highest early June temperatures in over a century, suggesting an unusual persistence and intensity of warm air masses over southern British Columbia.
These readings not only rewrite local climatic history but also signal broader shifts in seasonal patterns, as spring 2025 continues to exhibit record-breaking warmth across western Canada.
