A cooler than normal May has set up a 91裸聊视频渃ritical91裸聊视频� June, according to experts, who say the next five weeks will determine the severity of wildfire season in the Okanagan.
Just like much of 2022 so far, the month of May was cooler and drier than usual in the region. This time around, however, the dry climate comes before the year91裸聊视频檚 most pivotal weather month.
91裸聊视频淚f we don91裸聊视频檛 get rain in June, then we can often have a very concerning summer from the fire-weather perspective,91裸聊视频� said Doug Lundquist, a meteorologist with Environment Climate Change Canada. 91裸聊视频淩ight now, the outlook for summer is that it91裸聊视频檚 likely going to be in the cooler than average category, though.91裸聊视频�
Parts of the Okanagan, most notably Penticton, failed to reach a temperature of 25 C during May, a high that91裸聊视频檚 been tallied in the city for 30 consecutive years prior to 2022.
Precipitation totals, meanwhile, also fell below monthly averages across the Okanagan, with Lundquist adding that Penticton91裸聊视频檚 36 millimetres of rain comes in three less than its usual mark.
91裸聊视频淪pring as a whole has been dry,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 kind of been the story in the Okanagan, no matter where you are.91裸聊视频�
Regardless of what the long-term forecast says, Lundquist says it91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频渁ll hands on deck91裸聊视频� for the next three months and that people should be prepared for just about anything.
91裸聊视频淚 was looking at the model and there91裸聊视频檚 a hint of an extreme heat event in the Northern California and Southern Oregon boundary,91裸聊视频� the meteorologist said.
91裸聊视频淪o, the moral of the story here is this91裸聊视频e (in the Okanagan) should be preparing ourselves and making sure that we91裸聊视频檙e ready for any sort of heat event.91裸聊视频�
June is the Okanagan91裸聊视频檚 rainiest month, according to Lundquist, who anticipates the heightened risk of wildfires if precipitation numbers are still below average between now and the week after Canada Day.
Temperatures in the region during May were nearly two degrees lower than the monthly average but the so-called 91裸聊视频渄elayed start91裸聊视频� to summer should be the least of people91裸聊视频檚 concerns, according to the Kelowna-based meteorologist.
91裸聊视频淚f we don91裸聊视频檛 get our rain during the rainiest month of the year, we91裸聊视频檙e in trouble,91裸聊视频� he said. There91裸聊视频檚 a lot of the plate here, and we can91裸聊视频檛 just sit back and not consider being prepared.91裸聊视频�
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
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