If summer ended today, these weather facts might just blow your mind

As we flip towards August, temperature extremes will try to mellow out, but the heat will continually attempt to favour the West.

If summer ended today, British Columbia would record its fifth largest area burned by wildfires, at nearly 450,000 hectares – the third-highest over the past half-century.

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If summer were over today, Death Valley received 23.4 mm of rainfall in July; that’s more rainfall than most of the southern Interior has accrued all summer, while Vancouver airport will likely stay at zero for the month.

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If summer ended early, Jasper, Alta., and downtown Toronto would have roughly the same average high of 26°C for June and July. The thing is: Jasper is over 1000 m above sea level and at almost 53 degrees north.

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If summer suddenly ended, the N.W.T. would have recorded a temperature four degrees warmer than all of Eastern Canada. The toastiest location in Eastern Canada is Kenora at 36°C. In late June, Northern Canada hit 39.9°C in Fort Smith, N.W.T., the warmest recorded temperature north of 60.

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Summer isn't ending today. Consequently, the smoke story will float right into August or even early September. A silver lining...it will rain across parts of southern B.C., but not enough to break out of the exceptional drought conditions plaguing Western Canada. A worrisome southerly flow might bring rainfall relief, but also cranks up the thunderstorm potential.

As we flip towards August, temperature extremes will try to mellow out, but the heat will continually attempt to favour the West.