Parts Of Canada, NW U.S. Baked In Record Heat This Past Week; Alberta Burst Into Flames

One of many wildfires burning in Alberta, Canada brought on
by record high temperatures and dry weather. Photo
from Alberta Fire.

 As I described the other day, a persistent north to northwesterly flow of air will blow across Vermont and the rest of New England this weekend and during most of the week. 

Despite the direction of the wind flow, it won't be cold. Temperatures will be pretty close to normal. Even a little warmer than normal on some days. 

A large part of the reason why is that it's been incredibly warm in large sections of central and northern Canada. There's just no cold air to head this way. 

Strong high pressure in central Canada has led to record high temperatures in vast areas.  One of the most impressive record highs was a reading of 88 degrees in Hay River, Northwest Territories. That town is about as far north as Anchorage, Alaska or Helsinki, Finland, notes the Washington Post. 

Temperatures also got well into the 80s across huge stretches of Alberta and Manitoba, and parts of British Columbia. Edmonton, Alberta reached a record high of 88 degrees on Wednesday. Calgary had a record high of 78 degrees. 

Some of the Canadian heat dipped down into parts of the northwestern U.S.  Missoula, Montana reached 90 degrees on Monday, the hottest it's been this early in the season since 1910, says the Washington Post. Spokane, Washington had two days in a row of record highs of 84 and 83 degrees.

HEAT CAUSES DANGER

The way-too-early hot weather prompted dozens of wildfires to break out in Alberta, Canada, forcing 13,000 people from their homes. One fire in Fox Lake, Alberta has already destroyed 20 homes and the town's police station. 

Hot, windy weather is expected to continue, so the fires are likely to worsen. 

The Calgary Herald reports that the fires will worsen through the month of May, and possibly into the summer.  Lightning strikes are forecast this weekend, which would set off new fires.  Though humans have been causing most of the existing fires. 

British Columbia endured a chilly winter and early spring, which allowed snow to really pile up in the mountains. Now, with the heat, the snow is rapidly melting, causing serious flooding. Heavy rains were forecast to move into southern British Columbia this weekend, which would make things worse. 

Hot Canada this week was caused by a weather pattern known as an Omega Block. The jet stream curled south of a substantial area of low pressure in the upper atmosphere just off the coast of California. 

The jet stream then curled far north around the edges of a "heat dome" that formed in Canada - basically a huge area of high pressure featuring oddly warm weather. The jet stream then zoomed southward around another big low near East Coast.  That low and jet stream configuration is why we just had a cool, wet week in Vermont and why parts of New Hampshire, Maine and Quebec had heavy rain and flooding. 

Climate change probably influenced the heat wave, too, driving temperatures higher than the otherwise would have reached. 

Omega blocks don't break down easily, which is why the weather was so persistent. 

The block has managed to shift around a bit.  The low pressure in eastern North America has shifted well to the northeast, so we have that drier northwest flow over us.  The low pressure on the West Coast has also weakened some. But the persistent dome of hot high pressure remains over central Canada.  So in the upcoming days, more warmth and wildfires will envelop many. of our neighbors to the north