Canada’s August outlook holds shifting heat and wildfire concerns
A familiar summertime pattern is likely to emerge across Canada as we head through the month of August
An exceptionally busy summer across Canada shows no signs of slowing down into the month of August. July was the wettest month on record in Ottawa, and its steady downpours secured the wettest summer on record over in Edmonton.
We’ll continue to endure a changeable pattern throughout the country during the upcoming month.
Hot temperatures and dry conditions will make wildfires a major concern for some regions already hit hard by blazes in recent months.
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Western Canada experiences another flip-flopping pattern
Folks across much of Western Canada have dealt with a lack of consistency this summer, with periods of cooler and stormy conditions giving way to spells of dry and hot weather.
Early August will feature a cooler pattern across much of British Columbia, with conditions coming in near normal for communities along the South Coast.
An active storm track over much of B.C. will spill across the Rockies into central and northern Alberta, while southern sections of the two provinces will remain on the drier side throughout the month.
We’ll see above-seasonal temperatures shift west during mid- to late August, with much warmer-than-normal air building across the Prairies and into B.C. at times.
Prairies, Great Lakes anticipating continued heat
Farther east, warmer air will dominate the first half of August throughout Eastern Canada before shifting west. This setup will see temperatures on most of the Prairies come in above-seasonal for the month as a whole.
Upper-level ridging that will bring the heat will also lead to drier conditions on the southern Prairies and across northern Ontario, reigniting major concerns about renewed wildfire activity in parts of Ontario already hit hard by fires so far this season.
The mid- to late-August shift will allow more seasonable temperatures to build into the Great Lakes region, with the opportunity for cooler-than-normal conditions at times. A few hints of fall are likely, but beware that these teases won’t signal an early end to summer.
Atlantic Canada heat will moderate through the month
It’s a similar story along the East Coast, where folks across Atlantic Canada will experience warmer-than-normal conditions through the first half of August. Periods of stormy weather are also possible during this time.
Temperatures will moderate through the second half of the month, but likely not enough to prevent the month from tilting above-seasonal overall.
Residents and visitors to Atlantic Canada should remember that August is rapidly approaching the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Even though forecasters expect a below-average season due to a rapidly growing El Niño, tropical systems can and occasionally do sneak through even the most unfavourable pattern.
Stay with The Weather Network throughout August for all the latest in your area.