Atmospheric river brings rain, wind, and snow to B.C., travel delays expected

A series of Pacific storms will persist across B.C. this week, bringing heavy rain, snow, and strong winds, which could disrupt travel and cause outages

Weather Highlights:

  • A cold front will bring widespread showers along the B.C. coastline Wednesday, with alpine snow expected

  • A weak atmospheric river will impact the B.C. coastline Thursday morning

  • Heavy rainfall will affect the Lower Mainland starting Friday morning

  • Winds up to 90 km/h are forecast for Vancouver Island Thursday evening. Potential impacts include power outages and ferry delays

Baron - BC rain through Friday - Oct22

Rounds of rain, snow and powerful winds

A series of storm systems continues to impact British Columbia this week.

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A cold front will bring widespread showers to the coastline on Wednesday, accompanied by alpine snow. Freezing levels are expected to drop to 2000 m with this system.

Thursday morning, a weak atmospheric river will influence the B.C. coast, with the heaviest rain moving towards Vancouver Island and the South Coast by Thursday evening.

Baron - BC Thursday evening precipitation - Oct22

Precipitation will intensify overnight into Friday morning, leading to significant rainfall for southern areas.

Rainfall totals are expected to reach 40-60 mm across the Lower Mainland by Friday, while Victoria may see 20-30 mm.

Baron - BC precipitation Friday morning - Oct22

Heavier amounts up to 100 mm are likely for areas such as West Vancouver Island and parts of the North Coast.

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Freezing levels will drop to around 1600 m along the South Coast on Friday and lower to 1400 m by Saturday, posing challenges in high-elevation areas. Highway passes could see snowfall impacts, so drivers should be cautious.

Brace for possible power outages, ferry delays

Strong winds are expected to accompany the system, with gusts reaching up to 90 km/h on Thursday evening over Vancouver Island.

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This may lead to ferry delays and power outages in wind-prone areas.

Baron - BC winds - Oct22

Sunshine will be limited through the weekend, with a few breaks in between systems.

Temperatures across most of the province are forecast to remain cooler-than-seasonal through the end of the month, with daytime highs more typical of early November.

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