August in West Kootenay was drier, slightly warmer, and smokier than normal but only a couple of records fell.
According to a monthly roundup of statistics from the Southeast Fire Centre’s weather office, the highest temperature of the month was 37.6 degrees on the afternoon of the 13th, which fell well short of the all-time high of 40 degrees set over two days in 1967. The month’s lowest temperature was 6.2 degrees on the 23rd, while the record is 2.5 degrees on Aug. 25, 1992.
The average monthly temperature was 0.4 of a degree warmer than usual.
“As is typical, high pressure dominated for numerous dry, mainly sunny and very warm or hot days,” forecaster Ron Lakeman said. “A few disturbances also clipped the area with minor showers and thundershowers at times.”
A much larger Pacific disturbance pushed across southern BC with a few showers and thundershowers, much cooler temperatures, and gusty winds during the final few days of the month.
Total rainfall was 18.6 mm, 61 per cent of the monthly normal. Eighty per cent of the month’s rain fell on the 30th and 31st. The record high precipitation for the month is 140 mm, set in 1976 while the record low was almost none in 1967.
Extensive wildfire smoke filled the valleys and restricted visibility between the 23rd and 29th, greatly blocking out sunshine and limiting daytime warning each afternoon.
The only records set during the month were a daily maximum mean (warmest average temperature) of 26.2 degrees on the 13th and daily minimum mean (coolest average temperature) of 10.9 degrees on the 31st.
