Kamloops / Thompson Country

Ranching is the historic core of the economy in the South Thompson and the adjoining Nicola and Bonaparte Countries. The Thompson Country is extremely semi-arid and desert-like. Because of the low elevation of the valley's floor, winter temperatures are not too severe, while summer temperatures are among the hottest in Canada. Lytton vies with nearby Lillooet for the title of "Canada's Hot Spot", with summer temperatures regularly above 40 degrees Celsius (105 °F). In Kamloops, the winter mean temperature is −4.2 °C (24 °F) in January and the average July high temperature is 29 °C (84 °F) .