August is starting out moist, and that’s bad news for Calgary golf courses and other local businesses who rely on good weather to make money.
After July brought in more than three times the monthly average of rain in Calgary, August isn’t looking much better for the city—and it’s hitting businesses like golf clubs, outdoor bar patios and the zoo.
“We have four people out there right now and we wouldn’t probably expect to see many more,” Fox Hollow Golf Course pro Bryce Dancer said Wednesday. When asked how many people would be on the green if it was sunny, Dancer said: “Definitely more than 200.”
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On the 17 Avenue bar strip, outdoor patios were deserted Wednesday. The wet July is giving way to a moist August, and there’s more rain in the forecast.
“For the next week it doesn’t look that great, but the persistence into late August and early September should correct just a little,” Global News meteorologist Jordan Witzel said.
At the Calgary Zoo, visitors arrived early Wednesday to avoid the showers.
“Because July rain storms have been happening late in the day, early in the evening, our visitors are making their decision early in the morning,” spokesperson Larissa Mark said. “We are seeing the bulk of our visitors coming in between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., so by the time our visitors come, they have already had a great day here at the zoo and they are already on their way.”
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The annual rainfall average for Calgary is 326.4 mm. As of July 31 Calgary has had 337.9 mm of rain so far this year, with only eight dry days last month.
On average, it rains 10 days in Calgary in July according to the 30-year statistics from Environment Canada. It was also the coldest July long weekend in at least 40 years.
With files from Jodi Hughes
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