The view this morning from the Cove Resort towards Kelowna.

(MARSHALL JONES / iNFOnews.ca)

Tourists will be happier this weekend as sunny skies and warmer temperatures are in the forecast in Kamloops and the Okanagan.

But that could be tempered by wildfire smoke as Environment Canada’s smoky skies bulletin continues.

Kamloops is getting hit harder by smoke but not nearly as bad as earlier this week when particulate matter under 2.5 micrograms per cubic metre of air (PM2.5) hit 984. This morning, Aug. 24, it was at 34.5.

That still registered as a low health risk on the Air Quality Health Index but that’s forecast to rise to a moderate risk later today and tomorrow.

The heavier smoke in Kamloops is coming from the Bush Creek East Wildfire in the Shuswap area. Light winds up to 20 km/h from the east mean more smoke is likely to head to Kamloops today.

That city can expect a high temperature of 24 Celsius today with clearing skies. Sunny skies and slowly rising temperatures are forecast through the weekend, peaking at 32 C on Monday.

The Okanagan is impacted by the Grouse Complex of wildfires in the Central Okanagan. Its Air Quality Health Index is rated as low risk this morning, rising to moderate later today. Winds are forecast to come from the north with gusts up to 50 km/h possible in the Central Okanagan.

The PM2.5 reading in Vernon was 12.6 this morning. As with Kamloops, skies are expected to clear today and be sunny through the weekend.

Vernon can expect a high of only 22 C today, rising to 29 C by Sunday.

Kelowna could reach 27 C today, rising to 29 C on Sunday while Penticton is slightly cooler with a high of 25 C today, rising to 28 C on Sunday.

Kamloops recorded 1.7 mm of rain yesterday while 1 mm was recorded in Kelowna and none in Vernon or Penticton, although rainfall these days is scattered. On Wednesday, for example, recordings at different weather stations in West Kelowna ranged from 2 mm to nearly 20 mm.

That rain helps dampen dry material that can be ignited by ambers into spot fires but will have little impact on the overall dryness of the forests.

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