July was one of Calgary’s wettest on record, what’s next for August?
Last month was exceptionally wet in Calgary—and the trend may not break heading into August
It’ll come as no surprise to folks in Calgary that July saw above-average precipitation. But the month’s rainfall climbed high in the records—a difficult feat to attain during storm season.
Unfortunately for folks who are sick of the wet weather, this pattern won’t change much heading into the first full week of August.
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Calgary’s third-wettest July on record
We’ve seen some extreme precipitation trends on the Prairies so far this season.
Much of southwestern Alberta saw more than 200 per cent of their normal precipitation throughout the month of July, all while extreme drought and wildfires gripped central and northern portions of the Prairies.
A typical July in Calgary features about 65.7 mm of rainfall. The airport picked up 167.5 mm of rain last month—a total that easily surpasses the average rainfall during the city’s wettest month of the year.
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Last month’s total made it Calgary’s third-wettest July on record, coming in behind 2016 and the blockbuster month of July 1927, which saw 245.4 mm of precipitation.
A favourable upper-level pattern was responsible for the excessive rains we’ve seen in the past couple of weeks. Not only did the frequent troughs bring persistent bouts of active weather, but we even saw below-seasonal temperatures and rare snow across the Rockies.
More rain to kick off August
What can we expect as we dive into the new month? It’s unwelcome news if you’re tired of the soggy conditions.
The stubborn heat ridge that’s been parked over the central United States is breaking down, which will allow for more upper-level troughing to set up over Western Canada for the next couple of weeks.
As a result, we’re looking at the potential for several more low-pressure systems to track across southern Alberta over the next two weeks, bringing additional rainfall to the region.
Forecasters expect widespread rainfall totals of 50-75+ mm over the next seven days as additional rounds of rain and thunderstorms swing through the region.
Folks in the area should use extra caution as rain-soaked soils and swollen rivers will contribute to a threat for flooding with the additional rainfall.
Header image created using graphics and imagery from Canva.
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