After the monsoon, a mild summer expected in Edmonton
A spring monsoon of rain has not put a damper on Edmonton’s summer forecast, says David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
The city has been walloped by torrential rains, and had 30 per cent more precipitation in the last seven days than in the previous seven months.
“It’s really been almost from lack of rain to monsoonal kind of conditions,” Phillips saidTuesday in an interview on CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM.
Even though the rain may have ruined the Victoria Day long weekend for some people, Phillips said the wet weather will be appreciated in the months ahead as the city becomes parched with scorching summer temperatures.
‘It looks like a milder than normal summer’, said David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
“It looks like a milder than normal summer for Edmonton and most of Western Canada,” said Phillips. “Then all that precipitation that you’ve been cursing these past few days will be what you’ll be blessing later on, because it’s really like money in the bank.”
However, Phillips says long-term forecasts are never guaranteed and extreme weather events like storms are impossible to predict months in advance.
“This forecast does not indicate at all whether there will be tornadic winds, or heavy downpours, or hailers or strong winds,” said Phillips. “It doesn’t mean that sunshine is a guarantee for that family reunion or picnic you’re planning for August.”
Enjoy the sunshine, but be mindful the weather can change and keep an eye on the sky, he suggested.