Unseasonably warm weather set new temperature records in parts of the West Country on March 18, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

In the Rocky Mountain House area, the temperature reached 16.9 C, breaking the previous record of 15.8 C set in 2019. Records for the Rocky area date back to 1915.

Further south, the Sundre area also set a new high of 16.3 C, surpassing the old record of 15.9 C set in 2021. Temperature records there have been kept since 1993.

Several communities elsewhere in the province also set new daily highs on March 18, including Brooks, where temperatures hit 19.2 C, beating the 19.0 C record set just last year.

In Calgary, the mercury climbed to 18.5 C, edging out a long-standing 1928 record of 18.3 C.

Drumheller recorded one of the highest temperatures of the day at 19.8 C, breaking its previous record of 18.7 C set in 2021.

Records in Brooks date back to 1912, Calgary to 1881, and Drumheller to 1923.