Atmospheric river to continue drenching B.C. into Monday
The threats for both flooding and avalanches will remain elevated as an atmospheric river washes over B.C. to start the week
Rain that arrived on Sunday will continue straight into Monday for much of southwestern B.C. as an atmospheric river washes over the region.
Significant moisture will fuel more than 100 mm of rain for some areas, along with the potential for 50+ cm of alpine snow in spots.
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Steady rainfall will continue without any substantial breaks until Monday evening, bringing the area a solid 36-hour event. And with freezing levels set to rise and an inbound push of warmth this week, the risk for localized flooding is heightened due to the rain and expected snowmelt.
Expect there to be travel delays, especially with ponding and pooling on the roads. If visibility is reduced while driving, slow down, watch for tail lights ahead and be prepared to stop.
Rain continues into Monday
Sunday’s rain will continue pretty much uninterrupted into Monday before tapering off into Monday evening.
Port Renfrew and western Vancouver Island are on track to see 100-150 mm of rain from this event, while portions of the Lower Mainland—including parts of Metro Vancouver—could see around 100 mm of rain before it tapers off Monday.
This moisture-packed atmospheric river isn’t particularly extreme, and it won’t stall over a specific part of the coast long enough to trigger a major flooding event. Some pooling and ponding is still possible during and after periods of heavy rainfall.
Heavy alpine snow before freezing levels rise
Though 50 cm of snow is still likely above 1200 metres, focus on the rivers will be high as freezing levels drastically rise to start this week, potentially reaching 3000 metres.
While these areas will see heavy snowfall, the focus for alpine regions is actually the warmup arriving after the snow ends. Freezing levels will climb to around 2800 m by Wednesday. We’ll see an increased avalanche danger with the heavy, wet snow and rising freezing levels.
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The first significant alpine snowmelt of the season, along with the potential for up to 100 mm of rainfall, will have rivers running high throughout southwestern B.C. We’ll see the risk lower sharply by Thursday as freezing levels drop again.
Beware the potential for fast-moving streams and rivers with the increased runoff over the next couple of days.
First 20-degree day on the horizon?
The warm-up arriving by the middle of the week could bring B.C. its first 20-degree day of the season.
Kamloops notched the province’s warmest temperature of the year when readings there climbed up to 17.4°C. It’s possible that communities like Kamloops and Abbotsford could make it up to 20°C on Wednesday as warm air infiltrates the region.
Vancouver’s warmest temperature so far this year was a daytime high of 14.9°C. Wednesday could exceed that mark, with a comfortable high of 19°C in the forecast.
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across B.C.