Pineapple Express breaks record for warmth in Vancouver today

A Pineapple Express has brought record-breaking warm weather to Vancouver today, and high temperatures for November to much of British Columbia.

As of 6:00 a.m. PT, the temperature at Vancouver International Airport reached 15.1 C, passing the record for Nov. 8 of 14.8 C set in 1991.

By 9:00 a.m., after a spectacular rainbow was visible throughout the city, temperatures had reached 16.6 C.

"We have already broken our daily record for today," said Environment Canada meteorologist Ross MacDonald Tuesday morning.

Temperatures are expected to climb a degree or two more, approaching the record high temperature for Vancouver in the entire month of November, which is 18.4 C set in 1980, said MacDonald.

"I think we'll flirt with that number during the day today," said MacDonald.

Clouds are expected to return with rain beginning this evening as the warm, moist front moves in, said MacDonald.

Warm November in B.C.

It's not unusual to see the warmth, wet and wind of a Pineapple Express this time of year, but this system has brought remarkable temperatures to much of the province, said MacDonald.

"It certainly has been extraordinarily warm, not just here in Vancouver but a good half of B.C," said MacDonald.

Temperatures have hovered in the upper teens in the Okanagan, and the mid-teens in the Central Interior, he said.

Prince George, for example, averages just one day each November over 10 C.

Today, the forecast calls for 17 C, making seven out of eight days this month that have been over 10 C, MacDonald said.

In Seattle, temperatures had already reached 15.5 C as of 1 a.m. PT this morning, marking the sixth consecutive day of such high temperatures in November.

According to the U.S. National Weather Service, that string of warm November weather hasn't happened in more than 120 years.