Much-needed rain makes its way into fire-stricken B.C. this week
Widepsread rain is finally in the forecast for much of B.C. this week, but so is wildfire smoke.
British Columbia has been in the throes of an explosive wildfire season in recent weeks, with hot and dry conditions creating the perfect environment for burning. Luckily, some much-needed rain is finally in the forecast this week!
A shift in B.C.'s weather pattern is forecast to begin in the midweek as an upper-level trough brings in instability that should easily trigger rainfall as multiple lows develop south of the province over the coming days.
Keep up with the latest wildfire information at The Weather Network's wildfire hub
Unfortunately, for folks across the Lower Mainland, the rain will also come at a smoky cost as winds shift wildfire smoke into Metro Vancouver on Wednesday.
Beneficial rains begin Wednesday before becoming more widespread
Spotty rainfall is forecast to begin on Wednesday, although it will come as a double-edged sword as a dry lightning threat will also be present in the Rockies and Okanagan.
Thursday and Friday will be when we see more widespread rains over fire-stricken areas in the southern and eastern regions of the province.
Hopefully, these few days of cloudy and rainy conditions will help in the battle against the wildfires raging across the province, including the Bald Range wildfire southwest of Kelowna.
Wildfire smoke shifts into Vancouver Wednesday
Along with the pattern change, forecasters are also watching a change in winds on Wednesday from northeasterly to south-southwesterly.
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The wind change will force wildfire smoke toward the Lower Mainland and Metro Vancouver through the afternoon and evening. Luckily, the majority of the smoke should stay aloft, so air quality impacts should be in the low to moderate range.
Meanwhile, the air quality risk will remain very high across the Okanagan Valley where the larger fires are located.
Like the rain, the shift in winds will also likely be a double-edged sword, as they will allow the fires to spread in new directions.
Next week, we should see a pattern shift back to hot and dry conditions.
Stay with The Weather Network for the latest updates and information on your weather across B.C.