Kelowna sits in coastal British Columbia, where a mild oceanic climate brings Canada’s heaviest rainfall totals, driven largely by atmospheric rivers of moisture that arrive off the Pacific through autumn and winter.
In BC’s interior Okanagan Valley, the city has a drier climate than the coast, but intense storms and spring snowmelt can still raise the level of Okanagan Lake. These atmospheric river events, including the catastrophic November 2021 storm that caused widespread flooding and landslides across the region, can drop extraordinary rainfall totals in just a few days, making radar an essential tool alongside Environment Canada’s official warnings. Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map