Risk of frost and sunshine

Summer in Canada is typically defined as the three months from June to August, and Environment Canada readily concedes the warmest months are behind us.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean the Okanagan will soon see conditions similar to what Calgary has experienced lately, there is a chance for frost on Thursday morning.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a significant frost event, but there is a risk,” says Doug Lundquist with Environment Canada.

He says they are “slightly concerned” with frost over the next couple days – due to colder temperatures and a clear sky – but most areas should not be affected.

The daytime highs during that time should continue to rise over the next few days and jump into the mid to high 20’s.

“There is still a chance we could touch 30 degrees, it’s not impossible. What we’re forecasting with the 24 to 25, I wouldn’t be surprised if it reached into the higher 20‘s,” he says.

“There is still beach weather left, but we want to take advantage of every possibility when it gets warm enough, if you want to enjoy the sun. Especially this time of year when we start to worry about vitamin D.”

The cold air felt Wednesday morning is associated with the same weather system that is responsible for dumping a few centimetres of snow on Calgary.

“That’s why we only got up to 16 or 17 degrees today, there’s a cold air mass over all of Western Canada. Instead of coming out of the north, in the Peace country, the flow is going to start coming off the Pacific again and will bring in the warm air.

Lundquist says every time the temperature cools off, it’s very hard to recover to those previous highs.

But this weekend will be another chance to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.