Most of B.C. will be roasting alongside the turkey this Thanksgiving weekend, forecast says

Things could be sizzling this Thanksgiving weekend in most parts of British Columbia, and it won't have anything to do with the turkey in the oven.

Environment Canada forecasts are calling for near-record temperatures, with highs up to 10 C above normal in many areas of northeastern B.C., the central and southern Interior, Kootenays, Okanagan and South Coast.

The weather office says it could be 26 C in Port Alberni on Saturday, feeling closer to 30 C with the humidity, while Prince George, Williams Lake, Kamloops and Kelowna are all forecast to reach or exceed 20 C on Sunday.

Vancouver should nudge 20 C over the weekend, but Environment Canada says the system bringing the warm fall weather will break down by early next week, bringing clouds, showers and cooler conditions to most of B.C.

Rain and seasonal temperatures are badly needed for the northern half of the province, especially in the northeast,as the latest provincial government drought map shows the entire area is now ranked at Level 5 drought, meaning adverse effects are almost certain.

The map offers a slightly improved forecast for most of southwest B.C., where conditions have slipped to Level 3 on the 0-5 drought scale, but much of the southern Interior, including the Shuswap, Okanagan and Fraser Canyon, are ranked at Level 4, meaning adverse effects from the ongoing dry spell are likely.