Winter is going to make its presence known across B.C. in the coming days.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland starting Thursday afternoon and into next week.
“A Pacific cold front will strengthen and sweep down the coast (Wednesday night) and on Thursday, generating snow in the Central Interior (Wednesday) through Friday with snow in the Southern Interior Friday as well,” Global BC meteorologist Mark Madryga said.
Much colder Arctic air will flow southward through the Interior steadily this weekend, with most areas forecast to experience plummeting temperatures, Madryga added.
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“There will be increasing South Coastal rainfall Thursday through Friday… the most in many weeks,” he said.
“Snow will fall in the Sea to Sky region (Squamish to Whistler) and over higher levels of Vancouver Island Thursday and on the North Shore Mountains Thursday night.”
The special weather statement includes most of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, Howe Sound, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
While the low-pressure system will initially bring rain, wet snow is likely over higher elevations on Thursday with some areas receiving almost five cm by Friday morning, according to Environment Canada.
On Friday, most areas will see rain throughout the day.
However, Friday night and through the weekend, temperatures will fall as cold Arctic air begins to invade the region and mix with the Pacific moisture, according to Environment Canada.
While amounts of snow remain uncertain, accumulating snow is likely in many areas on the weekend.
Madryga said there is a higher chance of snowfall accumulations in the Lower Mainland on Sunday, especially Sunday night.
By early next week, Environment Canada says that very cold and dry air is expected over the South Coast with outflow conditions from an Arctic ridge of high pressure settling over the region.
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