Post-tropical storm Hilary bringing rain to parts of Manitoba

People walk along Venice Beach in the rain, Aug. 20, 2023, in Los Angeles. (Ryan Sun/AP Photo)

The remnants of the first tropical storm to hit southern California in decades is now making its soggy stroll into Manitoba.

Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Terri Lang told CTV News Winnipeg the remnants from tropical storm Hilary crossed the border into British Columbia on Monday, bringing with it much needed rain.

After passing through Alberta and Saskatchewan overnight, the storm is making its way across Manitoba on Tuesday.

“We are expecting maybe 10 to 20 millimetres by the end of the day today to places like the Swan River region and the Grand Rapids region, so that’s where most of the rain will be concentrated,” she said.

Hilary first made landfall on Sunday in the Baja California peninsula. It then drenched some areas of the southern U.S. like Palm Springs, dropping more than half an average year's worth of rain by Sunday evening.

The National Hurricane Centre downgraded Hilary to a post-tropical cyclone Monday, but still warned ongoing "life-threatening" flooding is expected in parts of the U.S. until Tuesday.

Lang notes the system will likely move out of Manitoba before the end of the day, continuing on its path into Ontario.

While the moisture was good news for areas of Canada ravaged by ongoing wildfires, Lang said the storm was a double edged sword.

“Especially for British Columbia because there was moisture that was brought. Unfortunately, it came with lightning. Lightning can cause new fire starts,” Lang said.

The moisture was also likely too late to help farmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan, she notes, after a hot and dry summer wreaked havoc on crops.

“But any kind of moisture that will recharge the soil moisture will be welcomed, I think,” she said.

- With files from CTV's Sissi De Flaviis