British Columbia experienced some of the most extreme temperatures on record in January, both high and low.
In Abbotsford, arctic winds brought snow and freezing temperatures as low as -16 degrees. Two weeks later, the city became the warmest place in Canada, two days in a row, at +18.4 degrees. According to a website that aggregates data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the latter dates broke Abbotsford’s record for the hottest day in the month of January.
On social media, some discussion of temperature spikes prompted debate about whether climate change could be blamed for the differentials.
To set the record straight, CIVL Radio spoke to Tim Cooper, a climate scientist and educator and former physics professor at the University of the Fraser Valley.
“What we saw here was climate change at its best—at its most extreme,” said Cooper.
Listen to the full interview for his explanations of the phenomenon, specific threats to the Fraser Valley, and what can be done to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
