Bundle up British Columbia, rapid temperature drop to persist through mid-week

Sunday, February 2, 2014, 9:28 PM -

Things are about to get a lot cooler across parts of British Columbia. 

An arctic air mass descending upon the province Sunday night will produce wind chill values of up to minus 30 in some areas. 

Environment Canada has issued an arctic outflow warning for the inland sections of the North and Central Coast, where strong winds and cooler temperatures are expected to persist into early Wednesday morning.

STUDY: Earthquakes in Vancouver amplified by Georgia Basin, study finds

This arctic ridge of high pressure will push into the South Coast early this week. EC has issued a special weather statement for areas including Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria and Inland Vancouver Island, where lows will fall to minus 10°C by mid-week.

"During the second half of January, much of British Columbia experienced temperatures that were at or above seasonal," explains Weather Network meteorologist Doug Gillham. "While many valley and coastal locations missed out on the mild temperatures due to fog, numerous record temperatures were set, especially in elevated locations. However, the province has now seen a major pattern change with temperatures forecast to be 5°C to 10°C  below seasonal during the upcoming week."

Residents are advised to monitor future forecasts as watches and warnings may be issued or extended. 

"Overall the weather pattern will remain quiet this week, but a more active pattern is expected starting next weekend and through the second week of February," adds Gillham. "This is welcomed news for ski resorts which have seen little snow during the past two weeks." 

Meanwhile, Canada's major prognosticating rodents provided a split decision on whether the country is in for an early spring or six more weeks of winter. See the groundhog's verdict here!