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Cranbrook gets month’s worth of rain in one day

35 mm of rain Wednesday, but we haven’t seen the last of summer weather yet
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The local waterfowl were having a ball Wednesday down by the Kinsmen Quads.

Cranbrook had its entire monthly quota for rain in one 24-hour period this week.

Between noon on Tuesday, September 17 and noon on Wednesday, September 18, the weather station at  Canadian Rockies International Airport between Cranbrook and Kimberley registered between 25 and 35 millimetres of rain.

The average amount of rain this area receives in September is 27 millimetres.

“So you’ve had your full month’s worth of rain,” said David Jones, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

The wet stuff is coming from a weather system that has already passed over the rest of B.C. and is now hanging above us on its way east.

“There is a weather system over the southeast corner of the province right now. It moved up very slowly from the south, southwest and it has been lingering. It’s slowly shifting off towards Alberta and the prairies,” said Jones.

Various spots throughout the Kootenays have reported between 15 and 35 millimetres of rain between Tuesday and Wednesday.

The snow line is still at 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) so there may be visible snow at the top of Fisher Peak, which stands at 2,800 metres (9,200 feet) elevation.

Across the border in Alberta, there was snow Wednesday on Highway 22, the “Cowboy Trail” from Highway 3 into Okotoks.

Thankfully, the rain won’t stick around and we will see sunny weather return later this week.

“It’s going to clear out rather nicely. Our forecast is pretty optimistic. A big system off shore is going to provide some sunshine,” said Jones.

“Although the forecast for Saturday says cloudy with a 40 per cent chance of showers, it’s going to be very late in the day. So Thursday, Friday and Saturday are going to be very nice days.”