‘Junuary’ not coming to pass in Kamloops so far; rain on the way this weekend

KAMLOOPS — June is typically the wettest month of the year in Kamloops, but that has yet to bear out in 2023.

Without a drop of moisture yet this month, the city is on the verge of breaking heat records this week with weather more typical of July or August.

“Thursday is a day we could break records,” Environment Canada’s Bobby Sekhon told CFJC Today, noting both the historical record and forecast for June 8 in Kamloops is 35 degrees Celsius. “However, the weather does turn a bit after that and we get into a slightly less hot stretch with the possibility of some showers, as well.”

The city saw 68 per cent of normal precipitation during the month of May.

In the B.C. Interior, June has earned the nickname ‘Junuary’ because of how it has been typified by cool temperatures and moisture in the past. Sekhon says the rain in the forecast for the weekend is not likely to turn conditions in that direction significantly.

“Normally in June, we see somewhere around 37 millimetres of precipitation. So far it’s been dry. We’re expecting maybe some showers, but not a whole lot to put a great dent in that,” said Sekhon.

A chance of precipitation is expected in Kamloops overnight Friday to Saturday, but Sekhon says the greater probability is the city will get rain about 24 hours later than that.

He adds the weeks of dry and warm conditions have set the city up for some potential dry lightning — another hazard more prone to appear in July and August.

“Sometimes what happens is, when we have dry air and we have showers come in, initially they don’t reach the ground,” said Sekhon.” They just evaporate on their way down — in which case, especially if you have some thunderstorms in the area and you have some lightning, that can be a little bit dangerous in terms of dry lightning without the precipitation.”