Record-breaking cold temperatures sweep through B.C. Interior

Several B.C. Interior communities saw their lowest temperatures ever recorded on February 20, according to Environment Canada.

Burns Lake reached32.9 C on Tuesday, smashingthe previous record of 26.7 C set more than 60 years ago in 1957.

Blue River hit31.2 C, breaking a record from 1949.

Clinton and Pentictonalso set new record low temperatures.

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"An Arctic ridge over B.C. has given clear cold conditions the last few nights," the Environment Canada bulletin said.

Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist said the cold air is flowing down into the Interior from the North Pole.

"It's a fairly late season," Lundquistsaid. "Usually by now we're starting to warm up."

That cold air has even reached California, where the National Weather Service has issued freeze warnings.

Lundquist said cold temperatures are expected to stick around for a couple days, but things will warm up toward the end of the week, with some snow expected for the Kamloops area.

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