Hot, dry June for Okanagan, Kamloops

Folks in the Okanagan felt June’s dry heat, but Kamloops was much soggier.

Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon saw rainfall far below the average, whereas Kamloops had a normal amount of precipitation in June.

Kelowna had 12.8 millimetres of rain, which is about 28 per cent of the normal 45.8 mm of rainfall in a typical June. Penticton had 16.2 mm of rain, or 37 per cent of the normal 43.8 mm. Vernon had 11.9 mm of rain, or 22 per cent of the average 54.7 mm of rainfall for June.

Kamloops had 35.3 mm of rain which is just shy of the average.

The monthly average temperature in all four cities was between 1.4 Celsius to 2.2 C higher than historic averages. Kelowna’s was 19.6 C and the average is 17.4, making it the seventh warmest June going back to 1899. Kamloops has an average June temperature of 18.4 C but this past month had an average temperature of 19.8 C.

Vernon’s average temperature for June is usually 17 C and this year it was 19 C, and in Penticton the average temperature is usually 17.6 C and this year it was 18.8 C.

An average monthly temperature that’s a degree or so higher than normal might not sound like a lot, but Environment Canada meteorologist Matt Loney said it’s noteworthy.

“It’s a fairly significant departure from normal,” Loney said. “All of these centres were warmer than normal, greater than one degree. So it was definitely a regional effect.”

There isn’t much reprieve from the hot, dry weather in the forecast either.

Tomorrow, July 3, is forecast to be around seasonal temperatures in the mid-20s temperatures in Kamloops and the Okanagan with a chance of showers in Kamloops. Temperatures are expected to ramp up over the weekend to the mid-30s.