Frightening SNOWY forecast if your weekend road trip takes you here
The seasonal divide will grip parts of western Canada this weekend as some areas bask in ideal summer temperatures, while others face the threat for mid-August snow. We break down the timing, impact and all of the precipitation types -- including heavy snow -- on the table, below.
SUNDAY: THREAT FOR 30 CM IN THE NORTH
A low that will dive down towards B.C. from far northern Canada will bring an unseasonably cold arctic airmass that will result in cold rain and snow into far northern parts of the provinces. This will bring the first significant snowfall that this region has seen in months.
"Parts of far northern B.C. will see daytime highs only climb into the mid to high single digits through Sunday," says Weather Network meteorologist Kelly Sonnenburg.
The snowfall could become heavy at times as the temperatures drop near the freezing mark and 20 cm or more could accumulate through Sunday at higher elevations of the Alaska Highway between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake and to the south of Fort Nelson. However, Fort Nelson likely won't see significant snowfall accumulations.
"Between 15-30 cm of snowfall is in the forecast for these areas, but keep in mind most of this will be limited to the highest of elevations in the region," Sonnenburg says.
Travel could become impaired at times dur to sudden reductions in visibly caused by heavy snow. It is also possible that the heavy snowfall could cause tree branches to break.
Meanwhile, in southern B.C. the temperatures will be climbing to the balmy upper 20s for much of the interior valley.
WHY SUCH A WILD DIVIDE?
Wondering how southern regions could be planning for beach days while the north fast-forwards right into mid-winter driving?
It's about a 1200 km distance from the southern to northern border of B.C., which is about the same distance from the city of Toronto and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina -- think maple trees to alligators.
"So we certainly know there can be vastly different weather conditions going on in both places so far from each other," Sonnenburg adds.
Also, take a community like Fort St. John in northern B.C., which has highly variable climate during ALL seasons as it's located along the foothills of the Rockies.
For example, the record high temperature for August 16 is 33.3°C, while the record low for the same date is -0.6°C.
