June, July exceptionally dry months in Sioux Lookout 

Tim Brody - Editor

Dry conditions have enabled approximately 100 forest fires to burn across northwestern Ontario with the wildland fire hazard, as of last Sunday evening, being extreme throughout the Fort Frances and Dryden sectors. High to extreme hazard conditions persist in the Kenora, Thunder Bay and southern portions of Red Lake, Sioux Lookout and Nipigon sectors. 

So just how dry is it? Gerald Cheng, Environment Canada Meteorologist said that as of July 16, only 11.2 millimetres of rain had been recorded this month at the Sioux Lookout Airport. Normal rainfall for the month of July in Sioux Lookout is approximately 97.3 millimetres.

“For June, we had 36.3 millimetres of rain and the normal should be about 113.7,” Cheng added.

“For much of northwestern Ontario we have seen a significant deficit really in terms of rain. We’re just not getting enough rain,” he concluded.