Sunscreen or umbrellas: Flexible plans needed this Canada Day long weekend
Canadians across the country are getting ready for cookouts, travel, and plenty of much-needed family time as the long holiday weekend is finally within reach. But will the weather cooperate with everyone’s plans?
Active weather will span the country for much of the long weekend, with some areas likely dodging showers and storms at times. Here’s a first look at your Canada Day weekend forecast from coast to coast.
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British Columbia
B.C. is the place to be next weekend if you’re looking for a taste of summertime weather.
Forecasters are confident that some of the country’s warmest temperatures will settle into B.C.’s Interior as an upper-level ridge builds over the region. The warmest temperatures might even tick into the mid-30s throughout the Interior’s hot spots and into the mid-20s along the coast.
Except for the northern section of the province, there’s no measurable rain in the forecast as the upper-level ridge exerts its influence over the West Coast.
Unfortunately, dry sunshine and warm temperatures will lead to a high or extreme fire danger covering a good chunk of the province, and temperatures will continue to warm even after Canada Day.
Prairies
The heat will build into the Prairies through the long weekend, as well, with above-seasonal daytime readings climbing into the upper 20s for many locations along the QE2, and possibly pushing the low- to mid-30 mark as the weekend wraps up. Saskatchewan will be the exception in that while the weekend will start with temperatures in the low-30's, the temperatures will trend down over the course of the weekend.
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It’s not going to be a dry heat, either. Plenty of moisture over Saskatchewan and Manitoba will make things feel pretty muggy for most of the weekend. The warmth and moisture will also fuel a risk for thunderstorms east of the Rockies, so you’ll want to stay weather aware over the weekend and plan accordingly.
Ontario and Quebec
Déjà vu? After a muggy and stormy weekend across Ontario, many folks are probably hoping that the long weekend will let us off the hook for unsettled weather. But another trough pushing into the region looks like it’ll time itself perfectly with the long weekend festivities.
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The arrival of this new trough means folks throughout Ontario and Quebec will have to be prepared for a couple of rounds of showers and thunderstorms, fuelled by muggy air streaming into the region from the southwest.
Thankfully, some much-needed rainfall will arrive over the fire zones in central Quebec this week, which should suppress some of the intense smoke that’s been drifting across both provinces.
East Coast
Folks across Atlantic Canada are probably hoping for better news after a week filled with endless showers and diminished sunshine.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the East Coast will remain entirely clear for the long weekend as we’ll see a widespread threat for showers and thunderstorms across the Maritimes return in time for Canada Day. This threat should diminish Sunday before additional showers march in from the west in time for the lieu day on Monday.
Central and eastern Newfoundland will be the place to be in Atlantic Canada this weekend as, unlike the Maritimes, conditions will stay relatively dry until the next round of showers moves in for Monday.
Canada Day snow?
Now that we’re diving deeper into the summer season, one lingering question is if we’re finally rid of winter’s pesky snows across the country.
Has it ever snowed on Canada Day before? Sure! Most recently, snow fell across higher elevations in B.C. and Alberta back in 2020.
This year, forecasters don’t see any snow at lower elevations across the country. Historically, though, a few locations across northern and eastern portions of Canada have recorded several centimetres of snow on Canada Day.
The largest Canada Day snowfall happened a decade ago, with 6.2 cm falling on Eureka, Nunavut, in 2013.
Check back frequently this week as the details become clearer for your long weekend forecast.
