Vancouver is in for a deluge of precipitation, so you may want to grab the umbrella before you put on your snow parka.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a rainfall warning for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, with up to 50 mm falling until Friday night.
This comes just days after ECCC warned of “a major change” for the region, with snow and a drastic temperature drop on the way.
LeonWang/Shutterstock
This ECCC warning is due to a low-pressure system moving toward Metro Vancouver by the end of the week. Light showers starting on Thursday morning are forecasted to become heavier throughout the day and into Friday.
“With freezing levels dropping along the South Coast, particularly during the heaviest rainfall overnight, higher elevations near the mountains may see up to 4 cm of snow,” added the ECCC. “Freezing levels will rise throughout the day on Friday.”
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
A chance of flurries is in the Vancouver forecast starting on Thursday and sticking around until the end of the weekend, so be ready with the snow tires as periods of snow are forecast for Monday, February 3.
ECCC is also warning folks that localized flooding is a possibility, especially at lower elevations and in areas with poor drainage systems, and that heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads.
Snowfall on the Sea to Sky Highway in Whistler. (Shutterstock)
On top of the weather warning for Metro Vancouver, a snowfall warning was issued for the Sea to Sky Highway. As part of the same system, the Squamish to Whistler portion could be hit with up to 20 cm of snow.
This snowfall warning is expected to last the same span of time as the Metro Vancouver rainfall warning — until late Friday night.