Wet weekend set cold temperature records in Okanagan

Okanagan residents face a couple more days of inclement weather, on the heels of a dismal weekend of cool temperatures and rain, before more seasonable conditions return.

Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says although no daily precipitation records were broken over the weekend in the Okanagan and Kamloops, several cities saw record low daily high temperatures on Saturday, June 13.

Kelowna’s daytime high temperature on June 13 was 12.8 Celsius which broke the previous record of 13.8 C set in 1981.

Kamloops had a daytime high temperature of 13.4 C compared to the previous record of 15 C set in 1923.

Vernon recorded a daytime high temperature of 12.4 snapping the record of 12.5 C set in 1981. Vernon also had a new record low daily high temperature of 12.3 C on June 14, compared to the previous record of 15.3 C, set in 2004.

No temperature records were available for Penticton.

The central Okanagan is experiencing a particularly rainy month, Lundquist says, with Kelowna already reporting more rain than it normally receives in the whole month of June.

“Kelowna’s had 49 millimetres. We usually get 46 mm in the whole month, so in half a month we have our monthly total," he says.

Lundquist says Summerland has also received more than it’s normal monthly total, with 47 mm this month, compared to that community’s average monthly precipitation of 36 mm.

He's calling for improving conditions later in the week, but adds we're not out of the woods yet.

"This unsettled, wet weather pattern generally lingers into the first week of July," he says.

Still, this past weekend wasn’t anywhere near as bad as the weather experienced in Alberta, where The Weather Network reports numerous funnel clouds were reported and golf-ball sized hail shattered windows, destroyed siding and dented vehicles in and around Calgary. Several centimetres of snow also fell on the Coquihalla Highway on the weekend.

Environment Canada says today, June 15, in the Okanagan should see a mix of sun and cloud this morning before clouds roll in this afternoon, along with a 40 per cent chance of showers, with a high of 16 C.

It should be mainly cloudy tonight with a 40 per cent chance of showers this evening and after midnight, along with a low of 9 C in Vernon and Kelowna.

There is a 60 per cent chance of showers for Penticton, with an overnight low there of 10 C.

Tuesday should be mainly cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon and a high of 20 C in Vernon an Kelowna. Penticton should see showers on Tuesday with a high of 18 C.

There is a 60 per cent chance of showers or thunderstorms overnight for all three cities, with a low of 10 C.

Skies should clear on Wednesday through Friday, with highs actually reaching above seasonal norms. The forecast calls for 23 C on Wednesday, 27 C on Thursday and 28 C on Friday.

The weekend looks pretty good at this point as well, with a forecast for a mix of sun and cloud and high of 27 C on Saturday and cloudy skies with a high of 27 C on Sunday.

Normal temperatures at this time of year in the Okanagan are highs of 24 C and lows of 10 C.

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