Hopes for wildfire relief arrive at a gusty cost on the Prairies
Rainfall is expected across the Prairies – will it bring enough relief?
Wildfires persist across the Prairies, but relief may be on the horizon.
The first signs of widespread rain will accompany a low pressure system on Friday. The rainfall certainly offers some hope, but most areas will need significantly more to help in the wildfire battle.
Windy conditions could complicate wildfire control efforts once again, as well.
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Much-needed rainfall arrives this weekend
A developing low-pressure system in the northern Prairies is forecast to track east into Saskatchewan and Manitoba this weekend, bringing some much-needed rainfall to the region. The lows associated cold front will likely trigger some strong storms on Saturday afternoon, specifically around southern Manitoba.
While localized areas may see higher rainfall amounts, the precipitation is unlikely to impact or extinguish active wildfires that are raging in the north.
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The even less favourable news for communities battling wildfires is the increasing wind gusts expected this weekend once again. Southern sections of the Prairies could see gusts of 60–80 km/h, although wildfire-affected regions may experience gusts of 40–60 km/h, potentially complicating firefighting efforts.
There remains some uncertainty about where the heaviest rainfall will occur. Ideally, it will fall over areas currently impacted by wildfires, offering some relief to those communities.
The rainfall will also temporarily help with the poor air quality the region has been facing.
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June offers hope for cooler and wetter conditions
As we make our way through the month, most of Western Canada will continue to see some relief from the hot and dry pattern that dominated during May.
The upcoming pattern change won’t be as dramatic as what this region truly needs, but periods of cooler weather should result in near-normal temperatures across the northern and central parts of the region, with the potential for some much-needed rain.
The pattern will not turn wet enough to put out the fires or end the threat for more fires, 10° cooler temperatures and higher humidity will help firefighters in their efforts to bring the fires under control.