Rainy start to June makes inroads on dry spring for Maritimes

It has been a soggy start to the month of June for the Maritimes.

A prolonged period of wet weather at the start of the month brought a large part of the region within 80 per cent or more of June averages for total precipitation. Northern New Brunswick and western Nova Scotia in particular had a good soaking. The rain was much needed as it helped in combating the destructive wildfire season throughout the Maritimes.

The region is expected to have several more showery days moving through the middle of the month further adding to June rain totals.

Rain this June compared to seasonal averages for the month.

It was a very dry start to spring for the region. Total precipitation of March through the end of May was about half or less than the climate average for that period of time. Reduced snow cover and lack of rain contributed to elevated wildfire risk and drought.

It was a very dry start to spring 2023.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada had southeastern New Brunswick, western Nova Scotia, and most of Prince Edward Island listed as being in severe drought at the end of May. The remainder of the Maritimes are in the categories of abnormally dry or moderate drought. The dry weather had farmers in parts of the region irrigating as they would in the hotter summer months. 

Assessed agricultural drought conditions across the Maritimes and the end of May.Canadas Changing Climate Report published in 2019 found a 5.7% increase in precipitation for spring in Atlantic Canada between 1948 and 2012. Spring this year contrasting sharply against that trend. 

Environment Canada runs a seasonal prediction system. Current projections from that system predict below normal precipitation for Atlantic coastal and eastern Nova Scotia as well as eastern PEI for the period of June through August. Near normal amounts of precipitation for the remainder of the Maritimes.

It should be noted that precipitation predictions for the Maritimes for that period of time have verified less than 40% of the time which is considered not significantly better than chance.