Summer officially arrives this weekend.
And while the past week hasn't felt like bathing suit weather, a warm hot season could soon be upon us if long-range forecasts are correct.
Meteorologists at both Environment Canada and the Weather Network say their seasonal weather models are predicting a summer that's slightly hotter and drier than usual on the B.C. coast.
"If you like the warmth, B.C. has one of the best outlooks across the country," said Gina Ressler, a meteorologist with the Weather Network. "We're looking at above normal temperatures for the summer months."
While rainfall is trickier to predict, Ressler said it looks like we can probably expect less precipitation than usual.
Meteorologists use different methods to come up with seasonal forecasts, said Ressler, including examining weather trends of the past few months, looking at patterns that
influence weather around the world like the jet stream and large meteorological patterns like El Nino.
That is very different than short-term forecasting, which can only predict weather about five to seven days in advance, she said.
Environment Canada meteorologist Allan Coldwells said government meteorologists are making the same seasonal weather prediction, with the possibility of average summer temperatures one or two degrees above normal. Environment Canada is also predicting a dry summer, although
Coldwells added, "We don't like to go out on a limb with precipitation because it's so unpredictable."
In the lead up to summer, spring temperatures and precipitation in March and April were near normal, said Coldwells. In May, however, things started heating up, with the average temperature 1.8 degrees above normal at 18.3 degrees.
Don't expect to break out the fans and air conditioners immediately. Temperatures will hover at around 20 with partly cloudy skies for the next week, said Coldwells.
But come July, summer should be on track for some nice beach and barbecue days.
