Environment Canada’s map  outlining areas  of probability of  temperatures being above normal  through to end of August.

Prince George, B.C.- This could be a  very warm summer.Environment Canada has produced its  seasonal forecast  for now through to the end of August and  there is every indication  temperatures will be  warmer than normal.

“we still have this  blob of very warm sea surface conditions over the Easter Pacific” says Environment Canada Meteorologist Andre Besson.   “Basically  the waters over the Pacific have been much warmer than normal for the  last few months and that has influenced the air mass over British Columbia and we expect that trend to persist  throughout the summer.”

He says the prediction for warmer temperatures is reinforced by the fact there is a weak El Nino “We have a high confidence that conditions will remain warmer than normal.”

That’s a trend says Besson,,  who is quick to add, local conditions could  differ depending on wind storms, or thunderstorms.

As for precipitation,  the prediction is not  all that  clear “It’s much  harder to predict trends in precipitation because there’s just too many factors  that come into play.  At this  time of the year, precipitation is much more based on local events, and that’s much harder to predict on a three month scale.”

He says   people living in the Interior of BC should keep in mind that  the bulks of precipitation  comes at this time of the year. “if you have warmer than normal conditions, warm air can hold more moisture than cold air,  anytime  you have an unstable  (weather) pattern you can expect moderate to heavy downpours.  It’s very  difficult to say how many events we may have this summer, but I  wouldn’t be surprised if we have quite a few severe thunderstorms in the area.”