Boasting about the weather is almost a birthright for residents of Victoria, which often ranks among the .

With a frequently hovering over B.C.'s capital while nearby communities remain under cloudy skies, this isn91裸聊视频檛 just a stroke of repetitive luck. In fact, Victoria91裸聊视频檚 enviable weather can be attributed to a simple meteorological phenomenon 91裸聊视频� a rain shadow.

Rain shadows are regions that receive significantly less rainfall due to their location, shielded by nearby mountain ranges, explained Armel Castellan, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

A glance at a map of B.C.'s South Coast quickly reveals how this pattern takes place. 

Tucked behind Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Victoria lies behind a massive mountain range to the south, which blocks moisture-laden clouds coming from the Pacific. 

91裸聊视频淎s that mass of very moist air91裸聊视频� hits elevated terrain, it starts to cool because it's forced to rise up in elevation,91裸聊视频� said Castellan. 

While the clouds rise, droplets start to form and gradually get bigger until they eventually fall as rain on the windward side of the mountain. Once depleted of moisture, the now-dry clouds move over to the leeward side.

91裸聊视频淣ow you've got an air mass that is descending back down to sea level and it is drying and warming at the same time,91裸聊视频� said Castellan. 91裸聊视频淎s a result, the propensity to rain is diminished greatly.91裸聊视频�

Spanning over 1,000 square kilometres, with Victoria, the San Juan Islands, Port Angeles and Port Townsend, Wash., marking its edges, the rain shadow's centre likely lies offshore in the Salish Sea, Castellan explained.

This area, easily identifiable via satellite imagery, explains Victoria91裸聊视频檚 unique meteorological patterns. 

91裸聊视频淥ur weather ends up being extremely different than it would be over the western Washington coastline or the western side of Vancouver Island,91裸聊视频� said Castellan. 

Rain data over the years have consistently supported the meteorologist91裸聊视频檚 claims. 

Victoria, on average, receives of rainfall annually. Sooke, 40 km east of the capital, gets , while Port Renfrew receives more than double that at . Nearby Vancouver averages .

Castellan noted the shadow91裸聊视频檚 effect is more pronounced over the year91裸聊视频檚 wettest months, from mid-October to March. However, a rain shadow doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean an absence of precipitation. 

91裸聊视频淰ictoria can get some good rains here and there, of course, [but] at the end of the year, you're pretty much guaranteed to have the least amount of rain of any coastal community on the Island.91裸聊视频�

That said, Castellan mentioned that the eastern part of Vancouver Island could also be considered somewhat in a shadow as it lies on the leeward side of several mountain ranges including Beaufort, Seymour and Pierce. 

91裸聊视频淭he east side of Vancouver Island is, in a way, a partial rain shadow because if you look at what falls in Ucluelet or Tofino, it's quite a bit more than what you'll see in Campbell River, Comox or Nanaimo,91裸聊视频� said Castellan. 

While several regions in B.C. and Canada experience rain shadows, Victoria91裸聊视频檚 stands out for its temperate and wet climate, particularly when compared to areas like the Okanagan 91裸聊视频� one of the country91裸聊视频檚 driest regions 91裸聊视频� which lies in the shade of the Cascade Range. 

Castellan explained that, in a way, these meteorological phenomena are similar to a microclimate, influencing the fauna and flora in their shade by shaping the region's predominant weather patterns.

Greater Victoria is home to the largest remnants of one of 91裸聊视频� the Garry oak meadows. This rare habitat supports a rich diversity of life, including unique plants, mammals, reptiles, birds, and countless other insects.

Although rain shadow climates are generally drier and warmer, Castellan noted that this phenomenon does not necessarily equate to a tropical paradise.

91裸聊视频淚t would be a misconception to think that the rain shadow creates a spot where you can suddenly grow bananas.91裸聊视频�