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Soggy start to June after parched May

Recent rainfall has dampened a near record-breaking dry May.
83464traildailytimestdtrainshot06-03-15
Diane Constans of Trail stayed dry under her umbrella as showers continued to dampen the region on Tuesday following a near record-breaking dry month of May. The welcomed rain relief is only expected to last a couple of days with warm dry weather expected to return this weekend.

Three days in and rainfall has already surpassed the record low for June, 12.7 millimetres (mm), set 40 years ago. But the wet trend is nowhere near matching the record 227 mm that doused the region in June 2012.

That year, rain fell almost daily for the first three weeks, producing 350 per cent above normal June precipitation.

Not so this year, because once 15 mm to 20 mm of rain falls in the next 24 hours - it should be smooth sailing for the weekend as clouds dissipate and sunny skies return.

Since thundershowers began to rock the area Monday, 16 mm of rain has fallen, which is rather normal for this time of year, said the local forecaster Tuesday morning.

“It's not what we call the heavy category, which is 20 mm or more,” Ron Lakeman told the Trail Times from the Castlegar weather office. “But the reality is, there is more to come.”

According to Environment Canada, the entity which initiates weather alerts, with another 20 mm of rain forecast, localized flooding in low lying areas is possible this week. Additionally, people in the southern Okanagan and Boundary regions are warned to watch for washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts.

A significant amount of precipitation may fall today, Lakeman noted, but a transitional period from low to high pressure is expected Thursday afternoon.

He said following clouds and a chance of showers that day, summer should be back on track with blue skies and a warming trend.

“Friday looks warmer, drier and sunny with cloudy periods,” he explained. “And we show that high pressure is the dominant feature for the weekend and Monday.”

Temperatures could reach the upper 20s or low 30s, which is considered seasonable for June.

Next week's weather is calling for the same, though Lakeman noted the good weather may not last.

“Some computer models suggest it could last next week, but others suggest there could be a bit of a breakdown as early as Wednesday (June 10),” he added.

June rain follows a month of May that was the warmest in 17 years, and the driest since May 2007.

A high pressure system dominated the first three weeks of May, which brought the month two degrees above normal and set three new daily maximum temperatures, 27.9 C, 30.3 C, and 31.7 C on May 20, 21 and 22 respectively.

With only nine measurable days of rain, the month's total precipitation was 55 per cent of normal.

Most of that, 77 per cent, fell during the last week when showers and thundershowers prevailed as Pacific disturbances pushed across southeastern B.C.

“It was startlingly dry for the first three weeks of May,” said Lakeman. “For the longest time, May was flirting for the driest May on record.”



Sheri Regnier

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