Outlook warming up for Easter

Spring will rise this Easter weekend in Kelowna. After a rainy and cool day today, temperatures will edge toward the seasonal norm of 15 C starting on Good Friday and may climb a degree above that by Sunday under sunny skies.

“We’re looking at a weak high pressure ridge building over the weekend, which will help dry things out,” Environment Canada meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau said Wednesday.

This time last April, a record warm month, there had already been six days when temperatures rose above 20 C in Kelowna. It was 27.9 C on April 20, 2016.

But the warmest day so far this April was the 1st, when the high was 16 C.

“Last April was really remarkable,” Charbonneau said. “This month hasn’t been that far off seasonal norms, but it feels that way, especially coming after the colder and snowier-than-usual winter that we had in B.C.”

Environment Canada’s long-term outlook suggests April, May and June could be somewhat warmer than usual.

Weather in B.C. can be strongly influenced by warmer or cooler currents in the Pacific Ocean, phenomena known respectively as El Nino or La Nina.

La Nina currents dissipated in February, satellite imagery shows, and early indications are for the return of El Nino this fall.

Right now, ocean temperatures are near longterm averages, a condition sometimes called La Nada.