Prolonged rain chance offers some relief to wildfire-stricken Prairies
Wildfires continue to ravage parts of the Prairies, creating dire situations for some communities. However, some good news is on the way this weekend.
Wildfires persist across the Prairies, but relief may be on the horizon.
Friday's rainfall certainly offers some hope, but most areas will need significantly more to help in the wildfire battle. The good news is there will be more rainfall on the way this weekend in wildfire-impacted regions, helping to quell some of the blazes while also clearing out the smoke and improving the air quality for some locales.
Windy conditions, however, 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 may trigger some severe storms on Saturday afternoon, specifically around southern Manitoba.
Elsewhere, the prolonged rain potential over the weekend will cover the wildfire areas, without the risk for thunderstorms, which is good news for crews battling the blazes. The rainfall will also temporarily help with the poor air quality the region has been facing.
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Temperatures will sit in the teens this weekend, struggling to reach 20°C for the week to come. That will also be good news for the fire-hit areas.
The dropping temperatures will be delivered by strong, northwesterly wind gusts this weekend. However, the strongest winds will remain south and west of the fires. The wind direction change will be the biggest factor for the fires,
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.
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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.