Time to dig out your shorts and sandals again.
It’s shaping up to be a hot week.
Environment Canada’s forecast calls for straight sunshine and summer-like temperatures until at least this weekend.
Meteorologist Carmen Hartt said we could see some record-breaking temperatures by the end of the week, thanks to a ridge of high pressure that will build over the next few days.
“Temperatures look to be in the low-to-mid 20s, but when we look at some of the temperature records, they are at about that same area, so it’s not a sure thing yet but it does look like a few places might break those records,” Hartt said.
In Campbell River, for example, it’s forecast to hit 23 C on Oct, 1st and 2nd.
That’s right around the records for those days, set in 1992 and 1993.
Hartt said long-range seasonal models have this warmer, dryer pattern continuing through most of October.
“It does look like this pattern is going to be with us this week, for sure, and possibly for part of next week, as well,” Hartt said. “It does look like an above-normal month for temperatures for October, and generally dry, as well.”
Hartt said the warm weather comes with a caveat, which is the possible return of wildfire smoke invading the region from the U.S. West Coast.
“They’ve improved a lot in Washington and Oregon, but in California there are still a lot of fires burning,” Hartt said. “So we are keeping our eye on those to see if any of that smoke will steer north, or back to our region.”
We could see hazy skies and smoke at the surface late in the week or sometime early next week, she added.
Hartt said if the U.S. fires stay as active as they have been and the wind blows in our direction, we could see another smoke event.
But if we do see smoke, Hartt says it likely won’t be like it was two weeks ago, when our air quality plunged to 10-plus, or very unhealthy.
“The last one was very significant, it was record breaking, so it’s something to keep our eye on, later this week,” Hartt said.
