No sizzling Canadian summer in forecast like last year
But Environment Canada predicts much of the country will still be warmer than normal
Last year, many Canadians basked in the warmest summer in 65 years, but overall it won't be quite as warm heading into the season this time, according to Environment Canada.
June, July and August are expected to be warmer than normal in British Columbia , the northern Prairies, and from the Ottawa Valley to Newfoundland and Labrador, Environment Canada climatologist Dave Phillips told CBC News on Sunday.
"On the Prairies, if there's any area that deserves warm weather it's the Prairies. They had a tough winter, long. Spring was really just winter again, and so they've had it tough," he said.
"The rest of the country looks near-normal, with no large areas showing cooler than normal," said Phillips, adding the forecast indicates the "flavour" of the summer months only.
Forecast models show less precipitation than normal for B.C., meaning water supply, irrigation and forest fires may be an issue. However, Phillips cautioned that precipitation models are not very useful in "getting it right."
The forecast doesn't say anything about extreme weather, but Phillips said, "We should always keep an eye on the weather."
"We know in this country we do get extreme weather. We are the second most tornado-prone country. We get three million lightning hits. We have gushes of rain and strong winds."