Soggy Start before Warming Week – Fire Danger Temporarily Knocked Down to Low – Will Martin Mars be Renewed – Perfect Perseid Possibilities

We have many things to be thankful for this morning!

  1. It rained, and rained hard in many places, on Saturday.  You could practically hear the grass, gardens, trees and rivers drink it all in.
  2. The rain stopped long enough on Sunday for competitions to happen at Thunder in the Valley.  It was a bit of bad luck for them for Saturday but by the sounds of it the event was still very successful.
  3. This morning it is drizzling again which will only further help dampen the forests.  The West Coast of the Island is getting quite a bit in fact.
  4. The warm sunny summer weather will return!  By Tuesday and Wednesday we should be back into pleasant summer weather and possibly perfect viewing of the annual Perseid meteor shower.

First – The Forecast – Rain – then Drying Out

The rain could linger all day Monday as little bits of precipitation swing onto the Island.wa_pcp3.18.0000-4

 

The rain is coming from a low just off the coast… but we are being protected somewhat by a high that is building in the Interior.  You can see the low moving away in the first two images below for 5AM and 11AM today respectively.

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That high will build in further on Tuesday and the hot (upper) air will reach further toward the Coast.

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Check out the heat (on the ground) building between today (5PM) and tomorrow.

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Here is the longer term forecast.  The heat peaks on Wednesday before moderating again.

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There is a slight chance of showers later in the week.

Fire Danger Knocked Down to Low – Back to High Within Days

The rain has provided a brief respite from the Extreme danger… though notice southern and eastern parts of the Island that didn’t get any rain are still at high and extreme.

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The rating will not stay low for long especially if it warms up a little more than forecast.  As it stands, the Wildfire Management Branch predicts us (Beaver Creek) to be back to High by Thursday.

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Please, do not take any chances in the bush.  There are also still fires being dealt with around Great Central Lake from last Tuesday’s lightning storm, one on the North Side is 1.8Ha the other on the South side is 2.4Ha.

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Will they renew the Mars contract?

After its work in Cowichan, on Harrison Lake, and Great Central Lake.  Has the Mars proven itself?  I have heard, though not confirmed, that the Mars is no longer on Alert this morning pending a renewal of their contract.  Here’s hoping they see the work done in Nelson, on Lake Cowichan, at Harrison Lake and on Great Central as proof it is worth keeping in the toolbox for the rest of the season.

Perfect Perseid Meteor Shower Forecast?

Once the skies clear tonight and tomorrow you should be all set for a perfect view of the annual Perseid meteor shower.

Look for them to start shooting any time after dusk.  They are always a wondrous sight.  And while the peak is this week, you can often see them for a week or two afterwards as well.

Have a Great Monday!

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