30 cm of snow in May? It could happen in this part of Canada
While pleasant springtime temperatures seep into Canada as we dive deeper into May, some areas are still clenched in the stubborn grips of winter. A potent system could bring up to 30 cm of snow to some areas by the end of this weekend -- no small feat for May. More on where the snow will fall, and how unusual it is, below.
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HEFTY SNOWFALL TOTALS POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS WEEKEND
It’s not every day we get to talk about 30 cm of snow falling in May.
A moisture-laden Pacific low rolling across the West Coast is bringing heavy rain to lower elevations and a decent helping of snow to higher elevations through this weekend.
The system will bring impressive precipitation totals to lower elevations. Portions of the South Coast could see May’s monthly average rainfall just this week, while the Okanagan could see as much rain as they’ve seen in the past two months combined.
Lower freezing levels will change much of that precipitation over to snow at higher elevations, leading to accumulative totals of 15-30 cm by the end of this weekend. While the mountain passes could see a bit of light snow during this system, the bulk of the accumulating snow will remain at the alpine level and the peaks.
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Up to 30 cm of snow in May isn’t exactly common, but snow can fall across the B.C. mountain peaks into the early summertime. Mount Fidelity in Glacier National Park has seen significant snowfall events in both May and June, recording 47 cm in one day back in May 1986, while they measured a whopping 53 cm of snow in a single day in June 1990.
Any additional precipitation heading into the late spring and early summer period is good news for residents hoping for any help staving off the approaching fire season.
Thumbnail courtesy of Unsplash.