Kamloops and Kelowna heading towards driest year on record

While Environment Canada hasn’t released its year-end data yet, but it’s clear that both Kamloops and Kelowna had their driest years on record.

Kelowna had its driest 11 months of the year at the end of November and it has been even drier in December.

On average 32.6 millimetres of precipitation falls in Kelowna in December. This year only 17.2 mm were recorded to date and virtually no more precipitation is forecast for the rest of the year.

It looks like Kelowna will record 147.5 mm of precipitation this year.

The previous driest year in Kelowna was 2020 (at least to the end of November). Because of higher than average precipitation in December that year, the city finished with 175.3 mm, or almost 28 mm more than in 2023.

READ MORE: All drought records for Kelowna, Kamloops set to be broken this year

Kamloops has recorded 146 mm of precipitation so far this year, with no more in the forecast.

The city's previous driest year was 1979 with 154.8 mm.

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