BANFF – Although July was undeniably a wet month for Banff, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) says it did not make the record book.
Banff received 98.7 mm of precipitation in July, which is more than double the monthly average of 46.9 mm, but the record of 144.8 mm set in July of 1903 remains unbroken.
“Every summer is different, and this summer has been a wetter one for the foothills, primarily in southern Alberta, but up towards the Jasper area too,” said ECCC scientist Christy Climenhaga.
“We've had a number of events in the month of July that have really brought in quite a bit of rainfall to the region, some convection too, so it has been a wetter run through the month of July than maybe that we're used to in the past,” Climenhaga added.
Jasper, meanwhile, was on the drier side, getting 49.5 mm in July. This is just below the norm of 52.2 mm. No records were broken for Jasper either, with the wettest July on record being in 1935 with 185.4 mm.
“So, yeah, not record breaking in either place,” Climenhaga said. “It was closer to those records towards the Calgary region, but not so much into the parks.”
There are hints that the rest of the summer will be wetter than normal for Banff, although Climenhaga cautioned that these kinds of forecasts can be tricky, noting that a month’s worth of rain can get dropped with just one storm.
“We always put the caveat that they often don't hold up quite as well, but our models are pulling in for a slightly wetter trend for much of southern Alberta and into the foothills for the month of August,” Climenhaga said. “That doesn't necessarily mean every day is going to be rainy, but when all is said and done, there is that better chance of wetter than normal conditions for the region.”
As for Jasper, June was on the drier side with only 30 mm of rain compared to 57.6 mm on average.
“Despite the rain in July, it could end up being a close to normal precipitation summer, or even if we don't get as much rain into Jasper this month, we could see a drier-than-normal summer, so it’ll be something to watch,” Climenhaga said.
She added how cooler, showering conditions will help lower the wildfire risk, but a hot, dry stretch can quickly change the situation.
As of Wednesday (Aug. 6), the current wildfire danger was classified as “low” for both Banff and Jasper national parks.
