Messy Friday coming!
Don’t get any crazy ideas that we will have snow before Halloween, but at the very least we are definitely going to have snow on the hills after Friday and a couple more frosty mornings like we had this morning.
It might even be as low as -5ºC Saturday or Sunday morning!
Special Weather Statement Issued
Here is the statement from EC, it applies to all of Inland Vancouver Island and the East Island north of Nanoose Bay.
Early season snowfall over higher terrain and highway passes is possible tonight and Friday morning as a modified Arctic airmass arrives on the coast. Below seasonal temperatures will continue through the weekend.
A low pressure system will pass just off Vancouver Island Friday morning and move onto the Washington coast Friday evening. Meanwhile, Arctic air will advance southward through the B.C. interior. The onset of precipitation combined with falling temperatures will bring the chance of snow and tricky driving conditions for Highway 19 between Campbell River and Port Hardy, Highway 28 to Gold River, and Highway 4 between Coombs and Port Alberni.
A few cm’s of snowfall is possible before becoming mixed with rain Friday afternoon.
The system will move out of the region Friday evening but a cold airmass settling in behind the system will ensure temperatures remain 5 to 8 degrees below seasonal normals.
First rain, and possible highway sleet/snow.
The timing has not changed much. Below is the progression.
The rain (dark colours) and snow (green/blues) should begin in the 2-5AM period Friday morning across the Island. Notice the wind barbs off the coast of the Island intensify as well. (In the 2nd image you can see them ‘swirling’ around the low pressure). It will be windy too.
As you can see from the images above, the rain and possible high-elevation sleet and snow will not end until the 5-8PM period Friday.
So really, the whole day isn’t not going to be great 🙂
Clear and Cold Fall Weekend – Then Warming
It will feel pretty chilly after the action stops on Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday should have us below freezing in the morning and unable to get over 10ºC for our afternoon highs.
The good news is it should be sunny on Saturday and maybe Sunday too. Next week we should warm back up to seasonal temperatures around 12ºC by Tuesday.
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