Hatters drop a line on Friday afternoon during overcast conditions in downtown Medicine Hat. Cooler weather is expected over the Canada Day long weekend, including rain after a generally dry June.--News Photo Collin Gallant
@MedicineHatNews
Showers on Thursday more than doubled the amount of rainfall received in Medicine Hat during June, but the total is less than half the long-term average.
That comes during what is typically the city’s wettest month, and after a near all-time record monthly rainfall during May.
Environment Canada reported that 16.5 millimetres of rain fell on June 27, bringing the total of June 2024 to about 27 mm (one inch is equal to about 25 mm).
That rain continued into Friday, and chances of showers are in the forecast for the Canada Day weekend.
Highs in the 20C range are expected through next week, with rain expected on Canada Day Monday through Wednesday.
So far, rain in June is much less than the long-term average for the month, which is stated at 66 mm based on records dating back to the late 1800s.
Medicine Hat recorded a recent low of just 6 mm in June 2023, and the second highest amount this century in 2022 at 99 mm.
About 165 mm of rain fell in June 2005, a month that featured a flood watch that only saw damage in low-laying areas near the river.
The flow on the South Saskatchewan river meanwhile remained below long-term low range at 154 cubic metres per second on Friday. Typical range is between 200 and 750 cubic metres per second.
