As Northeast Withers/Burns In Drought, Parts Of Canada Soggy

While the parched and fiery Northeast U.S. looks
 on longingly, the west and east coasts of Canada
keep getting drenching rains, which is leading to
some flooding and wind damage up there. 

 Boy, how things have reversed. 

Back in the summer of 2023, drought and wildfires across much of Canada had smoke from those fires belching across the border into the United States, including here in Vermont.

As it rained relentless here in the Green Mountain State, the damp air was tinged with smoke and quite noticeable air quality problems. 

Here we are in the autumn of 2024, and now the Northeast United States is in drought and burning, while parts of Canada soak relentlessly. 

In both cases, persistently stuck weather patterns kept the same conditions going over the same regions for weeks or months. Same thing is happening now, only we're getting the opposite extremes.

In Canada the stormy weather is mostly focused on the Atlantic Coast and way over in British Columbia. 

ATLANTIC

The stuck pattern has storm systems moving northward off the Atlantic Coast of the United States - much too far east to bring any needed rain.  Those storms, though, then get drawn northwestward into places like Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and the far eastern end of Quebec. 

The result is a long slog of rain, snow, ice, and wind in Atlantic Canada. Between Tuesday and Saturday anywhere from about an inch of rain or melted schmutz was expected in eastern Nova Scotia to four inches near St. John's Newfoundland. 

Wind gusts throughout this Canadian region are ranging through the 45 to 65 mph range today. It's really nasty up there. 

Environment Canada, that nation's version of our National Weather Service, is warning of localized flooding and power outages due to this week's wind and rain, 

Up in Labrador, which has never been known for lovely weather, is facing days of snow and freezing rain this week. 

PACIFIC

A series of storms and atmospheric rivers have been slamming into British Columbia this month. The third in a series of storms is hitting British Columbia today, spreading winds strong enough to down power lines, and rains hard enough to cause local flooding. 

The heavy weather is extending down into the United States Pacific Northwest with this round. Flood watches are up for parts of Washington State.

British Columbia is still recovering from an October atmospheric river flood and series of landslides that killed one person and caused damaging floods, including in and around the city of Vancouver. 

THE PATTERN

Those storms that have been hitting British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest have to go somewhere, but they are repeatedly hitting the "wrong" places.

Some of them have crossed the U.S Rockies, creating some snowstorms there. Then they've emerged into the southern Plains and parts of the Midwest, spreading rain, and even floods and tornadoes.  Then, they tend to weaken to nothingburgers by the time they hit the Northeast U.S., so we don't end up with needed precipitation here. 

Then, the remnants of these storms hit the Atlantic Ocean, hit other disturbances and draw lots of moisture from the oceans. They turn into bigger storms that keep hitting Atlantic Canada.

I don't see an end to this pattern for at least a week. Maybe toward the end of the month, there might be a few shifts that bring a change in the weather for all these regions. It remains to be seen.