Kamloops-area heat and smoke to intensify as officials warn of ‘explosive’ conditions

That warning comes as the Kamloops area recorded another hot and dry month in July. According to Environment Canada data, the mean temperature in Kamloops last month came in at 23 C, about one degree warmer than normal. What really stood out is the lack of rain as just 6.4 millimetres of precipitation was recorded at Kamloops Airport last month, well below the normal of 30.2 millimetres.

“You were dry but not as dry as the Okanagan and probably not as dry as Merritt was as well,” Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor told CFJC Today. “It was really a dry month in much of the Thompson-Okanagan.”

Proctor said Vernon saw 0.8 millimetres of precipitation last month, Kelowna recorded 1.3 millimetres while Penticton was marginally better at 1.5 millimetres.

He added there is no respite in sight in August, based on the latest available modelling.

“The Southern Interior stays warm and dry, maybe not as warm as we were in July and the storm track really goes across the Central Interior more than anything else,” Proctor said. “Anything that comes down toward the Kamloops area, we’re going to be right at the very tail end of those systems.”

“It usually gives us virga but not much in the way of precipitation that reaches the ground or valley bottom.”

Temperatures in Kamloops could cross into heat warning territory later this week and Proctor said there is also a chance of dry lightning. Chapman echoed that forecast as he said the province is re-entering another drying trend for the next couple of days.

“We anticipate the timing of this [dry lightning] to be late Thursday afternoon into the evening, and it will continue on Friday and into Saturday if it materializes,” he said, noting the BC Wildfire Service is expecting challenging conditions in the southern part of the Cariboo Fire Centre, as well as in the Kamloops and the Southeast Fire Centres.

“We continue to see significant drought conditions in those areas,” Chapman said. “It will mean that we will see more fires across southern B.C. The exact location of those fires is not predicable right now, but as we start to track that system, we will do everything we can to get information out.”

Firefighters were able to gain some ground in the Kamloops and Cariboo Fire Centres in recent days, but there are more than 100 active fires across the province. Chapman said the BC Wildfire Service is preparing as best it can, noting crews from outside B.C. are already on the frontlines with more on the way to help.

“Resourcing is not an issue,” Chapman said. “We continue to be supported to bring in and do what we need to do to try and suppress and be active on these fires.”

“Throughout British Columbia, we have over 1,000 personnel directly engaged in the fight in our wildfire response efforts,” added B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar. “This includes firefighters deployed in coordination with the B.C. Wildfire Service, working right now to protect homes and communities. They’re also joined by local fire departments assisting with structural protection and defence.”

Provincial officials are also urging water conservation, as they note the hot and dry weather has led to increased drought conditions across the province.

“That is why again, today, we are asking everyone who uses water – water suppliers, residents and businesses – to take action now to conserve water and reduce the water scarcity risks,” Randene Neill, the minister of water, land and resource stewardship, added.

“Voluntary conservation is always our first and preferred step and even with significant efforts on the ground, we are seeing low streamflows in many parts of the province, and we are especially concerned with conditions in the Okanagan where we have seen record low flows in some areas.”

Proctor added changing weather conditions may also lead to an increase in wildfire smoke across in the days ahead, as large fires continue to burn near Clinton and Boston Bar. A yellow-level air quality advisory was reissued Tuesday, the latest in the recurring series of warnings across this summer.

“Until we manage to get these fires to bed, we’re going to continue to intermittently get some smoke effects over top of us,” Proctor said. “If the ridge really builds back in sharply, we’ll probably see some of that Washington State smoke coming back up into the Thompson-Okanagan as well.

“Really, we’re into the heart of wildfire season and we’re going to get smoke.”

by Victor Kaisar

Kamloops-area heat and smoke to intensify as officials warn of ‘explosive’ conditions

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