The Okanagan Basin is located in south central British Columbia and is part of the Southern Interior Ecoprovince, lying east of the crest of the Coast and Cascade mountain ranges and west of the Columbia Mountains. Due to the rain shadow effect of these mountain ranges, the region contains some of the warmest and driest areas of the province in the summer.
The Okanagan Basin is nested within the Thompson Okanagan Ecoregion, characterized by rolling plateaus and large north south valley systems with rich glacial deposits carved by river paths. The mean annual temperature of the major valleys is approximately 6 Celsius with a summer mean of 15 Celsius and a winter mean of -3.5 Celsius. The mean annual precipitation ranges between 250-300mm in the major valleys to 400-600 mm in plateau regions, to over 1,000mm in sub alpine and alpine areas. Sub alpine areas support lodgepole pine, Engelmann spruce and sub alpine fir. At lower elevations, mixed forests of lodgepole pine, trembling aspen, white spruce and Douglas fir cover the rolling landscape. |
Drier valley bottoms support drought-adapted species such as Douglas fir and pine grass, or scattered ponderosa pine among bluebunch wheat grass and sagebrush. Varied grasslands, sagebrush, and antelope bush characterize the most arid areas south of Penticton. Many animal species inhabit this unique habitat including bighorn sheep, mule and white-tailed deer, elk, black bear, coyote, bobcat and cougar. Bird species include blue grouse, waterfowl and long-billed curlew. Reptiles, such as rattlesnakes, are found the more arid areas of the region.
Kelowna is well known as one of British Columbia's most popular vacation destinations because of its hot summers and temperate winters with an average daytime high during July and August of 27.40 °C. The average daytime high during December and January is -0.30 °C and the average low is -7.70 °C. Kelowna receives over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually and just over 11 inches of rain. Total annual precipitation is 366.4 mm. (280.7 mm. of rain and 105.5 cm. of snow). |
