Tropical moisture seeps into Canada, but little help for B.C. fires

Digital Writers
Sun, August 20, 2023 

Tropical moisture seeps into Canada, but little help for B.C. fires

Flash flood warnings cover tens of millions of people in the southwestern United States—including Los Angeles—as Tropical Storm Hilary leaves a historic mark on the region.

The storm’s prolific moisture will flow north into Canada through the week, fuelling rain chances from British Columbia to Quebec.

Unfortunately, the rain won’t be enough to stifle the fires raging throughout B.C., which have forced thousands to flee their homes and sent air quality plummeting to dangerous levels.

BCAQ

RELATED: Canada next in line for Hilary’s rains after historic U.S. impacts

Thick wildfire smoke hugging the surface throughout southern British Columbia won’t improve much heading into Monday.

Significant fires burning near Kelowna and Kamloops have contributed to atrocious air quality readings throughout the region, forcing residents to stay inside or wear quality masks to avoid harm from the air pollution. We'll see these hazardous conditions persist through Monday.

BCSmoke
Looking ahead at Hilary’s remnants

We’ve seen some clouds and rain push into Western Canada during the day Sunday as the far-reaching outflow from Tropical Storm Hilary vents over the region.

A strong jet stream swooping over the western half of North America is giving the storm a boost, helping extend its reach from Mexico to Alberta and beyond.

Heat Dome Hilary

The storm’s tropical moisture will continue flowing north long after the system itself falls apart over California on Monday. This plume of moisture aloft will meet with a disturbance over Western Canada by the middle of the week, bringing a chance for thunderstorms and steady rainfall to portions of central B.C. and Alberta.

BCPrecip

While some areas will see 20-40 mm of rain through the coming week, the bulk of the rain will miss communities where crews are struggling to get a leg up on out-of-control fires burning through B.C.’s Interior.

Stay tuned for the latest forecast update for Western Canada.
WATCH: The best time to prepare for a hurricane is well before one forms

Click here to view the video