May and June may have been very wet for the Okanagan, but the region is set to have a hot and dry summer.
Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist said that in June, the Okanagan received 72 millimetres of precipitation, compared to the average of 59 mm.
鈥淭emperature-wise, the region averaged 16 C, which is half a degree colder than usual,鈥� he said.
鈥淢ay was even wetter, with 62mm of precipitation. Usually, we get 48mm. Temperature-wise, we averaged 14 C. Usually, we鈥檙e around 13.1 C, so May was about a degree above average.鈥�
Lundquist added it鈥檚 still a bit early to give an exact outlook for July in terms of precipitation, but he said the region is looking like it鈥檚 on track for a hot and dry summer.
He said it鈥檚 typical for the region to have an 鈥業nterior monsoon鈥� season around May, switching to the drier part of summer, but that wet season started two weeks early in the Okanagan, dropping more rain than usual.
鈥淢ay and June were above average when it comes to precipitation. It鈥檚 still too early to call, but July is tracking on the drier side. Usually, we get 37mm of precipitation in July but we鈥檝e only got 12mm and it鈥檚 already half over,鈥� he said.
鈥淭ypically, the end of July is drier than the beginning of the month. It鈥檚 the first time in two months that we鈥檙e tracking towards dry.鈥�
In the next few days, Lundquist said to expect 30 C weather, tapering off to high 20s over the weekend then going back up to 30 C by the beginning of next week.
鈥淲e may see more days in the high 20s so at least for the next few weeks, it鈥檚 looking like we鈥檒l be in that normal mid-summer鈥檚 weather, where our average highs are 27 C,鈥� he said.
鈥淕enerally, expect that we鈥檒l be near or above average for the next week and probably continuing to the week after that鈥� it鈥檚 highly likely that the rest of the summer and the beginning of fall will be warmer than average.鈥�
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