Temperature rose 30 degrees over the Christmas weekend in Okanagan, Kamloops

It was just a few days ago when 40 records were broken in B.C. for the coldest Dec. 22 on record. That included -30.2 Celsius in Kamloops and -29 C in Kelowna.

The weather changed dramatically over the Christmas weekend as temperatures rose by more than 30 degrees, which means rain even on mountain passes in the coming days.

The Environment Canada forecast calls for a high of 5 C in Kamloops today with a 40% chance of showers. That’s 35 C higher than last Thursday.

The forecast shows a high of 4 C tomorrow in Kamloops along with rain. Daytime highs are expected to drop closer to the freezing level later in the week with snow and rain ending by Saturday. Overnight lows will not be much colder, at 2 C tonight and around freezing until New Year’s Eve.

The normal temperature range for this time of year in Kamloops is -1 C down to -7 C. The record high for today in Kamloops was 14.8 C in 1980 while the record low was -31.1 C in 1971.

READ MORE: Cold records shattered in Kamloops and the Okanagan

Kelowna is expected to reach a high of 2 C today and 3 C tomorrow, remaining near the freezing level through New Year’s. That’s an increase of 32 C from Thursday. Rain and snow are forecast through this week but New Year’s Eve could have a mix of sun and cloud with no precipitation in the forecast.

Normally highs for this time of year in Kelowna are only -2 C with lows of -8 C. The record high is listed as 6.1 C in 2005 with a low of -8.2 C in 2006.

In Vernon, the forecast high today is 2 C with the temperature steady overnight. A mix of rain showers and snow are expected through the week with a mix of sun and cloud and a high of 1 C on New Year's Eve.

Penticton is expecting a high of 5 C today with periods of rain and a low of 2 C overnight. The rest of the week through to New Year's weekend includes continued mild temperatures, with a chance of rain showers or snow flurries. The New Year's Eve forecast calls for mix of sun and cloud and a high of 0 C.

For the latest weather warnings, check out Environment Canada's public weather alert web page here.

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