Sunshine, cloud and maybe some showers in Okanagan this week

KAMLOOPS – Okanagan residents can look forward to a variety of spring-like weather before things begin to heat up this weekend.

Environment Canada says some clouds, the chance of showers and some sunshine is expected through the week before skies clear and temperatures start to rise in time for weekend.

Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon says an offshore ridge is producing near-seasonal temperatures and a mix of weather across the Okanagan this week, but by the weekend the ridge is expected to move off, resulting in a clearing and warming trend for Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s a typical ‘plastic’ spring pattern,” Sekhon says.

Parts of northern Alberta haven’t been as fortunate, with The Weather Network reporting today several wildfires tripled in size in that province in that past 24 hours due to dry and windy conditions. An evacuation has been ordered for 4,000 people from High Level, Alberta late Monday afternoon after a wildfire spread closer to that community. There is no relief in sight from the extreme conditions in High Level that has seen only 1.7 mm of rain since April 1, four per cent of average.

The forecast calls for a mix of sun and cloud in the Okanagan today, May 21, with a high of 20 Celsius and an overnight low of 9 C. It could reach 21 C in Penticton today.

Tomorrow’s conditions are expected to be similar, with a high of 23 C under a mix of sun and cloud, and an overnight low of 14 C.

On Thursday, a 30 per cent chance of showers creeps into the day’s mix of sun and cloud with a high of 25 C expected. The chance of showers increases to 60 per cent overnight with a low of 11 C.

There is a 60 per cent chance of showers on Friday with a high of 23 C. Those showers could continue overnight with a low of 11 C.

The weekend looks pretty good at this point, with a mix of sun and clouds and a high of 23 C on Saturday, improving to mainly sunny skies and a high of 26 C on Sunday.

The Okanagan normally experiences high and low temperatures of around 20 C and 7 C this time of year.

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