(Dreamstime)

By David Opinko

Hotter and drier summer in the forecast for Southern Alberta

Jun 2, 2021 | 12:08 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Southern Albertans can expect a wave of dry heat over the next three months.

Environment Canada Meteorologist Kyle Fougere says, while there will be some variation in temperatures in June, July, and August, that is the average they are forecasting.

“It’s looking like we’re going to be in that about 60 per cent [likelihood] that it’s going to be a warmer summer than normal.”

The region enters summer 2021 having already endured a drier-than-normal first half of the year.

Fougere says, in the winter and spring, we got just over half of the precipitation we could typically expect to see.

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“A lot of times what we end up seeing, when we have a summer that’s warmer than normal, you end up having a lot of these ridges of high pressure, which is what we’re experiencing this week – it’s bringing all these warm, dry conditions. When you have a ridge of high pressure over Alberta, you have sinking air. It suppresses the cloud, it gives you clear skies and warmer temperatures, and when those conditions are present, we just don’t see a lot of precipitation.”

He was unable to say how much warmer or drier the summer is expected to be, only that it will be more.

Given those conditions, Fougere says it is best to do strenuous outdoor activities during the cooler parts of the day and to watch for signs of heatstroke and sunburn.

At the time of this publication, a heat warning is in effect for much of Southern Alberta.

The high for Wednesday in Lethbridge is 32 degrees, reaching 35 on Thursday.

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