Top 5 Metro Vancouver weather stories of 2017

2017 was a big news year for British Columbia. Andat least a couple of the top news stories were weather-related.

From a devastatingly dry summerto a winter season that just wouldn't quit, there were many factors that led to the high impact seasons. But for the first time that I can remember, climate change was at the forefront of thoseconversations.

Here's a look at some of the wildest weather stories of the year for Metro Vancouver, with a couple of provincial stories that were just too big to not include.

1.The worst wildfire season on record for B.C.

Topping the list was B.C.'s dry summer, whichled to the longest and "most disastrous" fire season in the province's history.

The BCWildfire Service reported 1,265 fires, which forced an estimated 50,000 BritishColumbiansfrom their homes and led to a province-wide state of emergency the first in 15 years.

A wet spring for much of the B.C. Interior led to the rapid growth of grasses that then became explosive tinder during one of the driest summers on record. Add to the mix a couple of big wind events and we had a recipe for extreme fire weather conditions from Junethrough to September.

Climate change will continue to make our seasonshotter and drier, which will lead to less moisture in the forests, creating more fuel and more intense fires.

2. THAT winter

It was December 6, 2016 when the first of what would be many snowfalls and freeze-ups hit Metro Vancouver. And thenit keptcoming:in January. February. And March.

The final 2.6 cms of the season fell on March 7,in what will go down as one of the coldest and snowiest seasons on record. It will also be remembered as the year that salt became a hot commodity for the city.

The 2017 winter wasa reminder of how theclimate has changedin Metro Vancouver, when snowier, colder winters were the norm just a few decades ago.

3. Interior spring flooding

For parts of the B.C. Interior, a deepsnow packand a late, fast meltleftcommunities to copewithwidespread, unprecedentedflooding in May and June.

Water in lakes and rivers throughout B.C.'s central Okanagan rose tohistoric levelsthat left exhausted residentswith damagedhomesafter weeks dealing with floods. Flash flooding with intense thunderstorms led to the tragic death of two men in Cache Creek.

4. Summer of smoke

No one can deny that the wildfires this summer had the biggest impact on those forced from their homes but the smoke became more than just a damper on the summer season for many.

After more than a month of aggressive wildfire activity in B.C.'s Interior, smoke drifted westward, prompting air quality warnings as far away as the Lower Mainland, causing concern for those with heart and lung conditions.

Parts of the province, like theKamloopsarea, had it much worse, with off-the-chart Air Quality Health Index measurements. But it was also an eerie few weeks in July and August when otherwise perfect beach weather was replaced with fiery sunsets, a burning orb for thesun, and orange haze all day that irritated eyes and burned throats.

5. WetNovember

The month of November was defined by aseries of rainfall warningsfor many parts of the province, thanks to a particularly activeseries of Pacific storms.

Metro Vancouver experienced 22consecutive days of rain, with rain falling on 27of the 30 days.The month tiedfor the fourth wettest November since weather records have beenkept for Vancouver.

This is certainly not the definitive list for the year's weather events in Vancouverand across the province. But our changing climate will certainly keep us on our toes in the years to come.

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