The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It will likely be July before many regions of Canada settle into a typical summer weather pattern including warmer temperatures and fewer days with rain. Meteorologists at The Weather Network say the cool, wet conditions that have dominated many regions over the last few weeks will linger throughout June. "It's been a cool, wet spring for many regions, so even though June marks the start of the summer season it's going to take a little while longer to warm up and dry out," says Ron Bianchi, Vice-President of Meteorology at The Weather Network. The Prairies are expected to be cooler than normal in June, but warming up enough in July and August to average out the summer season near normal. Meantime, parts of Western Canada could sure use some rain. See 'Systems' P.# Con't from P.# Warmer than normal waters off the California Coast have been preventing storm systems from entering southern regions of British Columbia and the Prairies, resulting in plenty of warm, dry days. "We're expecting this pattern to continue beyond June, making for a warmer than normal summer in western British Columbia and a drier than normal summer in the southern Interior of British Columbia, southeastern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan," says Bianchi. British Columbia's Ministry of Forests is anticipating another busy forest fire season in Western Canada, potentially as bad as last year. If you're planning any camping or backyard burning this summer, be sure to first check with local officials for any fire bans that may be in place. Abandoned campfires, wind-driven backyard fires and discarded cigarettes are the most frequent reason for people-caused wildfires. Last year marked the worst forest fire season on record for British Columbia. Abnormally hot, dry weather resulted in over 2,500 wildfires over a vast area, mostly in the Interior of the province. The fires destroyed over 334 homes and many businesses, and forced the evacuation of over 45,000 people. The total cost of the fires is estimated at $700 million. The greatest cost of all was the loss of the lives of three pilots who died in the line of duty. In Alberta, there were over 1,100 wildfires last year, which burnt nearly 56,000 hectares and forced the evacuation of more than 3,000 people from their communities. The total cost of the fires is estimated at $216 million.
