Global Courant
Environment Canada issued multiple weather warnings and statements across Canada on Monday.
From air quality advisories to more than a foot of snow, June in Canada is a mixed bag of weather.
For most of the month, communities from BC to Quebec endured wildfires as oppressive dry temperatures blanketed most of Northern Canada and the Prairies.
As the forecast shifts, some areas that need rain are likely to see precipitation in the coming days, but this could cause more problems as localized flooding is possible.
Other parts of Canada are facing heat warnings that could exacerbate the wildfire situation and cause more smoke pollution.
Here’s what to expect in Canada over the next few days.
SMOKE AND SNOW
A weather pattern creates a mix of precipitation for interior BC and western Alberta.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Monday for Fraser Canyon, BC, calling for heavy rainfall. The low pressure system is spreading from Alberta brings 20 to 40 mm of rain throughout the day to Tuesday to the communities of Ashcroft, Cache Creek and southern Chilcotin.
The same weather system is expected to drop a mix of snow and rain along the Coquihalla Highway around Kamloops.
“The snow level has dropped to about 1,500 meters tonight and low snow levels will continue through Tuesday morning,” Environment Canada said.
Lisa Ervin, an Environment Canada meteorologist, shared CTV News Vancouver’s air mass drops temperatures by five to ten degrees throughout the province.
“June has arrived,” she said.
Gusts are expected over the Okanagan Connector and showers may form near Allison Pass and Helmer Lake Summit.
In the northern parts of BC, the story is very different.
A number of wildfires are still raging in the north, including the Wildfire in Donnie Creek, called the largest blaze in county history by officials. The fire has grown to about 5,343 square kilometers, which is almost the same size as PEI (which is 5,660 square kilometers).
Special air quality statements cover the northern half of BC from Prince George to Fort Nelson with smoke expected to hit communities most over the next 24 to 48 hours, Environment Canada says.
ALMOST A FOOT OF SNOW
Alberta is expected to see similar conditions, with significant amounts of rain and snow in the forecast.
The low-pressure system creates a period of heavy rainfall in the communities around Edmonton. Environment Canada predicts 40 to 80mm of rainfall on Tuesday morning, which can cause flash flooding.
“The rain not only helps influence the fire behavior, but it really pulls all that smoke out of the air and cleans it. It’s like washing the lower atmosphere at high pressure,” said Kelsey McEwen, CTV Your Morning’s chief meteorologist, on Your Morning on Monday.
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Highway 93 in Alberta and expects 6 to 10 inches to fall Tuesday morning.
A little further north on the Yellowhead Highway, which connects Jasper, Alta., to BC, a special weather forecast is in effect due to the possibility of rain and snow mixing.
DRYER CONDITIONS EAST
Parts of Saskatchewan are covered by Environment Canada air quality declarations due to wildfire smoke.
Communities north of Prince Albert, Sask. including La Ronge, Stanley Mission and Buffalo Narrows have stable air qualities as of Monday morning, but Environment Canada says this “may fluctuate over short distances and vary significantly from hour to hour”.
Similar advisory has been issued for part of Manitoba for the communities of Leaf Rapids and Lynn Lake.
Last week’s dry prairie heat moved to Ontario on Monday The northwestern part of the province is under a heat warning from Environment Canada.
The alert extends from Kenora to Attawapiskat and Environment Canada predicts temperatures will range in the high 20s to low 30s and likely to last into Wednesday.
“Not only are we seeing significantly warmer-than-average temperatures in the northern part of the county, but this high pressure has also contributed to a reduction in air quality,” McEwen said.
Environment Canada has issued an air quality statement for Timmins, Cochrane and Iroquois Falls, Ont. The same statement is also in effect for parts of Quebec, including along the northern border with Ontario.
Just west of Quebec City, a large part of the province is covered by an air quality declaration. Communities such as Parent, Nemaska and as far north as Umiujaq, Que., along Hudson Bay are seeing worse air due to wildfire smoke.
“We’re getting into those higher smoke concentrations thanks to the fires burning in southwest Quebec,” McEwen said. “That will continue for the next few days as this high pressure really continues to be quite dominant in the region.”
