Weather Event Impacts:

  • Damage to frost-sensitive crops and plants
  • Health concerns for the most vulnerable population, due to colder than seasonal weather
  • Power outages possible due to winds with a passing Friday storm, and in the Interior due to local heavy snow
  • Challenging travel conditions, over high mountain highway passes and some Interior valley communities

Timing:

  • Cold event: Thursday October 22nd to Monday October 26th
  • Southern B.C. Snow and Wind event: Thursday evening October 22nd to Friday October 23rd

Key Points:

Interior and Northern

  • A persistent northwesterly flow over BC will allow modified arctic air to push into the province
  • An Arctic front will move from the Central Interior to the Southern Interior on Friday bringing snow to valley bottoms by Saturday
  • Coldest temperatures Friday – Sunday for the north of BC, Sunday – Monday for the Southern Interior of B.C. with temperatures 5 °C to 15 °C below normal
  • Snow amounts uncertain currently.
  • Strong winds on Friday are still uncertain but could add to power infrastructure failures.
  • Outlook: A gradual return to near-seasonal temperatures will begin Tuesday October 27.

South Coast

  • A persistent northwesterly flow over BC will allow modified arctic air to push into the province
  • Coldest temperatures Sunday – Monday with temperatures 5 °C to 15 °C below normal
  • Lowering snow levels down to valley bottoms around the eastern Fraser Valley/Howe Sound where the snow/rain boundary will become more evident in the forecast as the week progresses.
  • Snow along the coast at higher elevations (~600m and higher) possible Thursday night or Friday.
  • Snow is not expected to accumulate near sea level.
  • Snow amounts uncertain currently.
  • Strong winds on Friday are still uncertain but could add to power infrastructure failures.
  • Outlook: A gradual return to near-seasonal temperatures will begin Tuesday October 27.

Forecast confidence:

High – regarding the timing and severity of transition to below seasonal temperatures.

Low – the amount of snowfall accumulation is uncertain. The best chance for any accumulation will be starting late Thursday or overnight Friday lasting Friday.

For updates, please monitor upcoming weather forecast and possible warnings:

Armel Castellan on behalf of Services Team
Warning Preparedness Meteorologist  |  Météorologue de sensibilisation aux Alertes
Meteorological Service of Canada  |  Service Météorologique du Canada