Summer running weather: wet in the east, dry in the west

Want to know what Mother Nature has up her sleeve in terms of weather as the summer months approach? According to a CTV news report, the type of extreme weather conditions we’ve seen this spring, with wildfires in northern Alberta and rain and flooding in central and eastern Canada, are likely to continue into the summer months, which could affect races, as it did last August.

RELATED: B.C. fires cause air quality issues for western Canada races

Last year air quality issues and race cancellations due to wildfires, including the Fat Dog 120 in BC’s Cascade Mountains, were a big issue for road and trail runners alike across the Pacific Northwest. Many runners in the Vancouver area found they simply could not train outside for weeks at a time.

WATCH LIVE: Officials are set to update the wildfire situation near High Level at 2 p.m. https://t.co/WuqQxA8Ku0 #abfire

— Global Edmonton (@GlobalEdmonton) May 27, 2019

Northwestern Alberta is already dealing with evacuations due to wildfires in the area, and the risk will remain heightened for most of BC and western Alberta throughout the summer months of 2019.

The town of Slave Lake says 650 fire evacuees registered overnight after a wildfire put the northern Alberta town of High Level under an evacuation order. An emergency reception centre set up in Slave Lake can handle 1,200. Latest story: https://t.co/fYqWeyZgGn

— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) May 21, 2019

The Weather Network suggests BC can expect a very warm summer, and that heat and drought could result in water restrictions in the province. Ontario and Quebec, by contrast, will be less hot than last summer (welcome news, perhaps, to runners in those provinces), however with more rain than usual, and a heightened risk of flooding in many areas. Atlantic Canada can expect seasonal temperatures and precipitation levels in June, with more humidity in July and August.