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We could set an unenviable record

More rain and cooler temperatures than even last year

IF YOU think it''s taken a long time to get to the sunshine part of summer, you're right.

The weather in Terrace for this year's summer season so far is shaping up to beat last year's record of the coldest, wettest summer in a decade.

Leading into summer this year, May 2012 was slightly drier than last year with 17 days of rain reaching 67.5mm compared to 2011, that saw 18 days of rain amounting to 79.9 mm.

But combined, this May and June amount to a drearier summer lead-in altogether.

The total amount of rain to hit the ground in both months this year amounts to 129.8 mm. Last year, that number was 118.8 mm.

This May was also slightly cooler than last with average high temperatures of 13.6 C compared to May 2011 at 15.1 C.

May 25, 2012 hit a high of 23.5 C with an average high of 17.9 and mean temp of 13.7.

That's two degrees less than last year. In 2011, May's temperatures peaked at 25.9 C at the month's end, with an average high of 15.1 C and mean temperature 10.2.

While June's peak temperature this year topped last year's high reaching 28.8 C on the 23rd compared to the 25.9 high June 2011 brought with it, the day's heat was the high point of an otherwise cool month.

June 2012 saw only four days hit higher than 20 C compared to last year's six days with the average high temperature at 16.4 C this year compared to 17.9 C last year.

The mean temperature last year was also warmer than this year at 13.7 C in 2011 compared to 12.2 in June 2012.

June this year was also wetter, with more rainy days and a higher volume of water altogether hitting the ground.

More than half of the days this June saw 62.3 mm of rain hit the ground this year compared to last year's 38.9 mm that accumulated over less than half the days in last June.

And while so far this spring has lead to a poorer summer start, both years have touched historical lows for temperature and highs for precipitation.

This year as well as last year have seen a La Nina weather cycle, which tends to bring with it cooler, wetter weather, according to the B.C. River Forecast Centre website.