Fraser Heights Secondary, BC

Strong winds beginning tonight for the South Coast.

Locations: Port Alberni, Lake Cowichan, Howe Sound, Whistler, Metro Vancouver, and the Fraser Valley.

Wind: Strong southeasterly winds of 40 km/h gusting to 70 are expected Wednesday morning. Winds will switch to gusty southwesterlies with speeds of 40 km/h gusting 70 Wednesday morning for inland Vancouver Island and near noon for the mainland coast.

Other hazards: 40 to 60 mm of precipitation over the higher terrain of Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound, and the North Shore Mountains.

Time span: Tonight through late Wednesday.

Remarks: An unseasonably strong low pressure system will make landfall on Vancouver Island tonight bringing strong southeasterly winds and a burst of heavy precipitation to much of the South Coast. The storm will be accompanied by freezing levels of 1100 to 1500 m which means precipitation will fall as heavy snow in the mountains. As the cold front passes, winds will shift to strong and gusty westerlies or southwesterlies Wednesday morning for the island or near noon for the mainland, impacting Port Alberni, Lake Cowichan, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Strong southerlies will also funnel up Howe Sound and Whistler Valley.

We continue to monitor conditions and may upgrade to warnings as the storm nears.

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Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet reports using #BCStorm.