If you thought May was rainy in Kamloops and the Okanagan, get ready for June

It seems our collective memories are short when it comes to spring time rain in Kamloops and the Okanagan. You see, June is typically the rainiest month of the year.

Environment Canada meteorologist Bobby Sekhon says June is the wettest month of the year in Kamloops, Penticton and Kelowna. Vernon gets the most rain of the year in the 31 days centred around June 10. On average, 46 millimetres of rain falls in Penticton in June, while 40 mm falls in Vernon, 37.4 mm in Kamloops and 33 mm in Kelowna.

The pre-summer weather pattern that brings a series of upper level lows across the province in the spring is responsible. The weather systems produce widespread rain and embedded convection thunderstorms in the B.C. Interior.

“June is usually a pretty wet month. It seems like agriculture relies on it, although an excessive amount of rain in late June isn’t good for Okanagan cherry crops,” Sekhon says.

"The June rains also mitigate summer wildfire risks."

Sekhon says it’s a weather pattern that generally sticks around until the first week of July.

This weekend’s weather is expected to potentially bring heavy rain, wind and lightning to the Okanagan and Thompson regions on Saturday, followed by a typical start to June with unsettled, showery conditions well into next week.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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