Is Prince George in line for a cool summer?

A summer with not a lot of overpowering heat is what could be on tap for Prince George this year.

According to Environment Canada, a cooler-than-normal summer is being predicted for the northern capital.

However, Meteorologist, Doug Lundquist is taking the modelling with a grain of salt as he is closely monitoring what’s happening south of the border.

“There is an extreme heat event heading for northern California and southern Oregon. That is just a little too close for my comfort. The seasonal forecast is only that and it’s kind of speculative.”

“But, we just really have to live through June because I am afraid all we need is that little pocket of extreme heat that could get those two states to move the system a few hundred kilometres further north and we’ll be in trouble as well. We really do need to take it one day at a time.”

Lundquist added when it comes to potential wildfires, June is usually a strong indicator of what the season might look like.

“The fact that it has been cold and wet is good for us. The month of June is really the crux point for us to get through summer. If we are warm and dry then we will be in trouble but if it’s cool and wet then that will be good for us.”

The northern capital, like all of BC was caught in the middle of a pair of Heat Domes during June and July of 2021, which saw several record-breaking temperatures.

However, the extreme warm spells didn’t come without a cost as 12 people passed away due to heat-related deaths between June 25th and July 1st of last year according to the BC Coroners Service.

In addition, PG is coming off its fourth-coldest and third-wettest May on record.

The average temperature was 7.5 degrees, chillier than the normal mark of 10.1 while 91 millimetres of rain fell in the city, almost double the average amount of 49.

Looking back on the spring season as a whole (March, April and May), the city was colder and wetter than average with most of that coming last month.