A drop of rain ends 45-day drought in Vancouver, B.C.
Vancouver International Airport in B.C. received a trace of rainfall Saturday, enough to snap a 45-day drought, but not nearly the amount needed to eliminate the precipitation deficit.
Moisture that seeped into B.C.'s Lower Mainland Saturday was sufficient enough to produce a trace amount of rain and end an impressive 45-day drought streak for Vancouver.
The dry spell, which began on June 16, was long enough to surpass the previous 41-day record set in 1986. While the precipitation broke the consecutive dry stretch, and was welcomed news for the heat- and wildfire-stricken province, it wasn’t nearly enough to eliminate the current drought in B.C.
"It wasn't enough to recover crops, but a little does go a long way in terms of giving slight amounts of nutrients to plants. It helps to mitigate some of the wildfire smoke, as well," said Melinda Singh, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), there was a trace of rainfall recorded at Vancouver International Airport on Saturday, July 31 – too small to be measured, as it amounts to roughly anything less than 0.2 cm.
And with that little rainfall, July 2021 is tied for Vancouver's second-driest month on record.
She noted the Lower Mainland may potentially see moisture return by late week.
“As we look ahead, dry conditions will continue for the majority of the work week. But, as we look towards the end, potentially we could see a little bit of moisture starting to make its way through,” said Singh.
As a result of the ongoing wildfires, Castlegar, B.C., had a daily average air quality index of 415 on Friday -- marking the third worst day in the past seven years and the first time two days have exceeded 400 in the same year. Tuesday's index reading was 404. These readings were among the worst in the world.
Earlier this summer, B.C. endured a prolonged and record-shattering heat wave that resulted in the village of Lytton setting all-time temperature records for three consecutive days.
With files from Isabella O'Malley.
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