Wildfires force evacuations in the West

Wildfire SW of Fort McMurray, 11 May 2024 (X/Twitter @AlbertaWildfire)

Wildfires in northeastern British Columbia have forced the evacuation of about 5,000 residents of Fort Nelson and a nearby First Nation although some have chosen to stay behind and protect their properties.

The B.C. Wildfire Service says strong winds and drought conditions are fueling the flames.

A massive wildfire in northwestern Manitoba has forced the evacuation of 600 residents from Cranberry Portage where officials say high winds and dry conditions are helping the blaze move at “unbelievable speed” and it could take weeks to extinguish.

The wildfire is not yet threatening Flin Flon, northwest of the area, but it has severed telecommunications links such as landlines, cell phone service and internet access.

Meantime, residents of Fort McMurray remain under orders to prepare to leave their homes as a wildfire burns out of control about 16 km away from the northeastern Alberta city.

Fire officials say scattered showers and lighter winds have been a welcome relief.

Fort McMurray residents are still haunted by a devastating wildfire in 2016.

Wildfires have also become a concern in the County of Grande Prairie and near Fort Chipewyan.

Summer-like heat in West to end abruptly

Temperatures climbed well into the 20s Celsius across Alberta and British Columbia over the weekend, making it feel more like May than March.

Record highs were set in Merritt, BC at 23.2⁰C which was the warmest place in Canada, while Fort Macleod was one of several Alberta locations to reach 21.5⁰C.

Further north, values even climbed above 10⁰C in Yukon and Carmacks was the hotspot at 14.2⁰C.

But a passing cold front and Pacific moisture will cause an abrupt change including below freezing temperatures and as much as 20 cm of snow.

Extraordinary January heat in the West

All-time January temperature records have been smashed across the Prairie Provinces this week including a summer-like high of 21.1⁰C in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan.

Incidently, the new record is close to Canada’s all-time January high of 22.2⁰C set in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 1950.

The same pattern which delivered atmospheric rivers to British Columbia also brought mild Pacific air to the Prairies from Winnipeg to Edmonton and even much further north into the territories.

The rollercoaster ride this month from extreme cold to extraordinary heat has led to an astounding temperature range of more than 64 degrees in some places.

Notable weather mentions this week…

• 26-31 January – Atmospheric Rivers hit British Columbia: A series of heavy rain and strong wind events could bring up to 400 mm of rain and winds gusting to 70 km/h; rain and snowmelt could cause rivers and streams to swell, raising flooding concerns.
• 25-26 January – Dense fog settles over a huge swath of eastern Canada and eastern USA: Millions of square kilometres from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico are shrouded in low clouds with poor visibility.
• 26 January – Record heat across Southeastern USA: Washington, DC had warmest January high ever at 27.2⁰C; a week ago the city had its first significant snowfall in 700+ days.

Notable weather mentions this week…

Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Skateway (file from National Capital Commission)

• 15-16 January – Snow drought ends in Mid-Atlantic USA: New York City records about 5 cm snow – the most significant amount to fall in 701 days; Washington, DC gets 4.5 cm or the most in 728 days.

• 17-18 January – Heavy snow hits the BC coast: Vancouver had 30+cm – the snowiest day since 1996; Victoria had 10-20 cm; travel was disrupted and schools closed.

• 21 January – Ottawa’s Rideau Canal Skateway opens for the season: 2 km section of ice is deemed thick enough for skating; unable to open last year for first time in 50+ year history due to mild conditions.

October snow in the West

Courtesy The Weather Network

It’s not usual to see snow in Western Canada in late October but it’s still jarring after a relatively mild fall so far.

Environment Canada says about 10-20 cm of snow fell in the foothills of the Rockies.

Lake Louise recorded 26 cm which will be a great base for the upcoming ski season.

About 15 cm fell at the Calgary Airport with reports of more than 30 cm in other areas of the city.

The low pressure system moved across the Prairies and also gave Saskatchewan and Manitoba an early taste of winter.

The Pacific coast received heavy rain and high winds with 55 mm at Victoria Airport and a maximum gust of 74 km/h.

Temperatures have plummeted as low as -20⁰C in Alberta and a record low of -14⁰C was set at the Edmonton Airport.

Wildfires force evacuations in Yellowknife & Kelowna

Vehicles leaving Yellowknife, NWT, 18 Aug 2023 (Pat Kane/Reuters)

The relentless wildfire season in Western Canada continues with evacuations ordered for the capital of the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Kelowna, British Columbia.

The 22,000 residents of Yellowknife were told to leave by noon Friday as a wildfire edged closer to the city limits.

Many left by vehicle on the only highway out of town which was also threatened by fires and heavy smoke while others took commercial, chartered and military flights.

Most stores and services in the NWT capital shut down and only emergency staff were left at the hospital as patients were flown to other facilities.

A wildfire also forced a neighbourhood in suburban Kelowna to flee after it caused significant structural damage according to fire officials.

About 5,000 residents were ordered out as some had to be rescued while others sought safety in lakes – with 35,000 others on standby to leave.

In the case of both wildfires, forecasters say dry conditions will persist in the upcoming week with little relief expected to help douse the flames.

BC records hottest August temperature ever

Lytton, British Columbia has hit another extreme temperature milestone.

The village reached 42.2°C (108°F) on Tuesday which is a new provincial high temperature record for August.

Lytton already holds the record as Canada’s hotspot with a national all-time high of 49.6°C (121.3°F) set on 29 June 2021.

This is the highest temperature ever recorded north of 45°N and higher than the all-time records for Europe and South America.

Unfortunately, a wildfire destroyed about 90 percent of the community the next day (30 June) and reports say rebuilding has been a slow process.

Record highs in the West

Courtesy Environment Canada

A strong high pressure system brought an early season heat wave to much of Western Canada.

Temperatures soared to more than 16°C above average in some areas and new record highs were set in the mid-30s.

The hot and dry conditions are fuelling hundreds of wildfires already burning in the West.

The smoke brought poor air quality and reduced visibility with special statements for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

It’s been a very cloudy winter…

Courtesy Brian Brettschneider/Twitter

Southeast New Brunswick had the second warmest January on record and a mild winter overall, but research finds the season was also very cloudy with less sunshine than usual.

The map above shows standardized departures of solar energy and the Great Lakes region really stood out along with much of Central Canada, the Maritimes, Alberta and British Columbia.

It certainly was quite gloomy in Greater Moncton during early winter with seemingly endless cloudy days and barely a glimpse of the sun.

Climatologists said Ontario had its darkest winter in 73 years and cited London as having no sunny days between early December and early January!