Climate
The climate of Ashcroft is dry, with very hot, dry summers and moderately cold, although usually brief winters. It holds the distinction of having one of the hottest summers in Canada, with a July average daily maximum temperature near 30°C (86°F). Daytime temperatures over 38°C (100°F) are common in mid-summer. Ashcroft is the driest place in British Columbia and in southern Canada, with an average annual rainfall of 6 inches (although there are drier places in the high arctic of Canada). The closest climate data available for this area is from the Spences Bridge station, approximately 45 km to the south.
Sagebrush vegetation predominates on the lower-elevation terrain in this area, with dry pine on the heights above. The area is known for its cattle ranching, with the historic Ashcroft and Basque Ranches southwest of town, and the Parke Ranch—among the very oldest in British Columbia—skirting the town limits of Cache Creek.
Due to its arid climate, Ashcroft and the surrounding area have occasionally been used as a stand-in for film productions set in the Middle East and American West, including the miniseries The Andromeda Strain, which was shown on television in 2008. Other movies filmed in the Ashcroft area include Cadence, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, An Unfinished Life, The A-Team, and 2012.
| Climate data for Ashcroft, British Columbia (Spences Bridge weather station) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17 (63) |
17.5 (63.5) |
24.5 (76.1) |
32 (90) |
38.5 (101.3) |
39.5 (103.1) |
42.5 (108.5) |
40.5 (104.9) |
37.5 (99.5) |
31 (88) |
21.5 (70.7) |
17.5 (63.5) |
42.5 (108.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) |
5 (41) |
12.4 (54.3) |
17.9 (64.2) |
22.4 (72.3) |
25.9 (78.6) |
29.6 (85.3) |
29.5 (85.1) |
24 (75) |
14.8 (58.6) |
5.7 (42.3) |
0.1 (32.2) |
15.7 (60.3) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
4.3 (39.7) |
8.6 (47.5) |
12.3 (54.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
10 (50) |
4.4 (39.9) |
−1 (30) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
4.4 (39.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −25.5 (−13.9) |
−23 (−9) |
−13 (9) |
−4 (25) |
0 (32) |
4 (39) |
6 (43) |
6 (43) |
0 (32) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−29 (−20) |
−28.5 (−19.3) |
−29 (−20) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 18.8 (0.74) |
12.5 (0.492) |
12.5 (0.492) |
13.6 (0.535) |
27 (1.06) |
31.9 (1.256) |
29.1 (1.146) |
24.9 (0.98) |
23.5 (0.925) |
22.4 (0.882) |
26.6 (1.047) |
26.2 (1.031) |
269.1 (10.594) |
| Source: "Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000: Spences Bridge Nicola". Environment Canada. http://www.climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?stnID=1331&lang=e&dCode=0&province=BC&provBut=&month1=0&month2=12. Retrieved 26 January 2012. | |||||||||||||
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