2025 was the warmest year on record in Kelowna and Vernon

Warmest year on record

Photo: Contributed

Record high temperatures were set in the Okanagan in early September 2025.

We didn’t suffer through a heat dome or major forest fire smoke, but 2025 was the warmest year on record in parts of the Okanagan.

Both Kelowna and Vernon set new records, while Penticton saw its fourth warmest year.

The average temperature for Kelowna was 10.6 C, 2.4 degrees above the normal of 8.2 C. Vernon’s 2025 average temperature was 10.1 C, compared to the normal of 8.4 C. Penticton averaged out at 10.6 C, one degree above normal.

The standout month was September, when several high-temperature records were broken.

“In September, we had a really good heat wave in the beginning, during back-to-school time. We were still seeing high of 40 C in the Interior, I think, for the first week of September,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Derek Lee.

On Sept. 2, the high topped out at 37.1 C in Kelowna, which also set new highs on Sept. 3 (35.9 C), Sept. 17 (31.5 C) and Sept. 20 (29.8 C).

New record high temperatures were recorded in Vernon during five days in September, including Sept. 1, 2 and 3, when the mercury hovered in the 35 C range.

Penticton saw two new high temperature records in September, but also set record highs for three days in December. On Dec. 15, it reached 12 C, followed by records of 11.8 C on Dec. 16 and 10.5 C on Dec. 17. Vernon also posted record highs on Dec. 15 and 16.

Only one low temperature record was set across the Okanagan last year, when it dipped to -3 C in Vernon on Oct. 14.

There was some good news on the precipitation front in 2025.

“It is trending more or less normal, except Vernon. Normal being 80 to 90 per cent of normal for Kelowna and Penticton. Vernon was coming in at around 68 per cent of normal,” said Lee.

He said it’s not enough to fix the drought in the valley.

“It’s a multi-year thing in terms of how dry it has been. This year it’s only been trending better, but nothing’s fixed, I guess that’s the theme.”

​​Total precipitation in Penticton was 308.8 millimetres (89.70 per cent of normal), Kelowna recorded 376.3 mm (80 per cent of normal), and Vernon got 305 mm, compared to the normal of 446 mm annually.

Environment Canada weather records for the Okanagan date back to the early 20th century.