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 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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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.

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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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