After overnight showers, rain clouds continue to hang over the city

Prince George, BC –  It appears the best we can hope for is a ‘normal’ summer as far as the weather is concerned and, with the soggy month of June dripping to an end, a normal July would be welcome relief.

Environment Canada meteorologist, Jim Steele, says the outlook for July and August is for normal temperatures and normal precipitation. 

"The average person will say, ‘Well, what really does that mean for Prince George?’  If you look at July: in the first couple of weeks, normal daytime highs are 22 to 23 degrees; mid-July to probably the first week in August is likely the warmest period – normally, you’ll see 24 and 25 degrees for highs; and then it backs off to 22 as you get towards the end of August."

Other ‘normals’:

• 20 days in July are above 20 degrees, 19 days in August are above 20 degrees
• one day in July and one day in August might hit 30 degrees
• 64mm of precipitation for July, 51mm of precipitation in August
• 14 days of rain in July, 13 days in August
• 5 thunderstorms in July, 4 in August

To put 64mm of rain into perspective, Steele points out that as of yesterday, Prince George had received 113mm in June.  "So, if there was a normal amount of rain, we’d have half of what we got this past month, so that’s not bad."

Last July was very wet and cool.  The average daily high was just 18 degrees, with the warmest day of the month coming on June 17, 2011 at 23-degrees.  And city residents suffered through 112mm of rain, or 176-percent of normal.

"If you can get a normal July and a normal August, it won’t be a banner summer," says Steele.  "But after this June and what you got last year, take normal and run!"

Environment Canada’s forecast is calling for showers with the risk of a thundershower today to mark the last day of June.  Tomorrow, Canada Day, we’ll start July with mostly cloudy skies and a 40-percent chance of showers later in the day.  The high is expected to hit 18 degrees.