Credit: CFJC Today

By Doug Collins

B.C. might have a little cooler summer

Forecaster says B.C. may have a little cooler summer

May 21, 2021 | 7:21 AM

KAMLOOPS — AccuWeather Global Weather Center – May 21, 2021 – The summer solstice, which will mark the first official day of summer, is still a month away, but the beginning of June is just around the corner, and AccuWeather long-range forecasters say that in some areas of Canada, summer conditions could kick into high gear earlier than normal.

The team, led by AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, released its annual summer forecast for the country this week, warning that building heat could worsen drought conditions and increase the risk of wildfires for some regions this summer. Anderson has been forecasting at AccuWeather for 32 years, with more than a decade at the helm of the company’s focus on weather for Canada.

As the country faces the second full summer amid the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions ease up, here’s a look at some notable weather highlights Canadians can expect over the next few months with a complete region-by-region breakdown.

Warm and stormy in Eastern and Atlantic Canada

Waters in the western Atlantic, particularly those bordering Atlantic Canada, have been much warmer than normal throughout the spring.

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With heat and humidity building in the east and dry conditions farther west, the main battleground between these two air masses is forecast to shift into southern Ontario and southern Quebec this summer. According to Anderson, this can lead to a higher number of days with showers and heavy to severe thunderstorms.

Quebec City and Montreal are some of the cities that can expect above-normal temperatures to take hold often this summer. Average high temperatures for Quebec City in late July are 78 F (25C) and in Montreal, late July high temperatures rise to 81 F (27C). To the west in Ontario, Toronto is expected to have normal temperatures throughout the summer, which at its peak in late July is an average high of 78F (25C). These three cities are also likely to experience several rounds of thunderstorms this summer.

This will be an extension of the stormy pattern expected to develop throughout the summer months in the northeastern United States.

Cool in British Columbia to building heat in the Rockies

The months of June, July and August can bring to mind warm days filled with sunshine. However, this isn’t expected to be the case across northern British Columbia this summer.

A storm track from the Gulf of Alaska into Canada’s western most province can ignite rounds of rain over the region throughout the summer months.

“Most of the Pacific moisture, at least for the first half of the summer will likely be directed into northwestern British Columbia,” said Anderson, adding that as a result there will be “cloudier and cooler days compared to normal.”

There is a risk for localized flooding in this region throughout the summer, especially if heavier downpours move through the area or prolonged periods of rainfall.

Anderson also added that slightly lower-than-normal sea surface temperatures off the northern British Columbia coast can moderate temperatures across the region, keeping them near to below normal.

The cooler Pacific waters will also influence air temperatures across southwestern British Columbia. Near-normal temperatures are expected in this region throughout much of the summer, including Vancouver.

Normal high temperatures in Vancouver during the months of June, July and August are in the middle 60s to lower 70s F (18-22 C).

Farther inland in southern British Columbia, a weather pattern building over the southern Prairies is expected to extend into the Canadian Rockies.

Tale of two summers in the Prairies

The summer months may be a tale of two seasons across the Canadian Prairies and the southern Canadian Rockies with one area expecting warm and rainy days, while heat and drought conditions will worsen in another zone.