Feeling Hazy?! You can blame it on our summer weather pattern...

Have you noticed a haze settling over parts of our valley? This is very typical at this time of year during the summer season when we have a stretch of dry and sunny weather.
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When we have a summer stable weather pattern with no rain and high temperatures, it means we have warm air at the upper levels. The results in very little vertical movement or wind. As a result, particulate matter - including smoke, pollen and dust - settles and stays in the valley.
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This is the same reason why we have had smoke stuck in our valley in previous years during significant wildfire seasons.
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Fingers crossed we will not see too many large wildfires this year!

Cool start, hot finish for July 2020

July 2020 started off with a much cooler weather pattern compared to the extreme heat we saw at end of the month.

Even with the drastic change through the month, last month’s afternoon temperatures ended up being right on target with seasonal conditions, with an average of 27.9C for daytime highs.

July is typically the hottest month of the year in Kelowna, with a seasonal daily high of 27.9C and a seasonal low of 11.1C

Our overnight lows last month were also comparable to seasonal with an average of 12.9C.

However, it was noticeably dry for July this year, and we had very little rain compared to seasonal data. Only about half the amount of rain fell last month with 18.4mm measured, compared to the climatic normal of 37.2mm

All monthly statistics in this article are based on data from the weather station at UBCO, and the seasonal statistics in this article are based on the Canadian climate normals 1981-2010 data.

The August long weekend will be warm while temperatures stay above seasonal in the upper 20s to low 30s.

Coastal vs Interior Weather Patterns

We’ve seen some HOT 🥵 conditions this past week here in the Okanagan. Why are summer temperatures so much hotter here in the valley, making us a “hot” spot for tourist season?

It all has to do with the ocean. Water moderates temperature because MORE energy is required to heat water versus the land.

This is the same reason why it is usually much cooler in the interior compared to the coastal sections during the winter months - because it takes a lot more energy to cool water down versus land.

If you like moderation - you may enjoy living next to the ocean. If hotter summers and cooler winters are more your thing, living in the interior may be your best bet!

A little tidbit about me: I usually LOVE hot summers…. However being 27 weeks pregnant this year, this might be the first time in my life I’m not appreciating the current 35C scorcher!

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