'Juneuary' weather hits B.C.
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, June 15, 2016, 10:36 AM - It's mid June, yet it's looking and feeling a lot more like January. Could it be "Juneuary" in B.C.?
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Cold temperatures aloft were the dominant player on Tuesday giving way to a highly unstable environment and promoting high elevation snowfall.
Environment Canada had issued a special weather statement Tuesday warning of "heavy wet snow at times."
"Amounts will generally be light but near the Coquihalla Summit and over the Allison Pass amounts of 5 to 10 cm are possible through Wednesday morning," EC said in the statement. "Travellers are advised that roads could be slippery and should exercise due caution."
So you think it feels unusually cold! You're right. This was Grouse Mountain earlier today! #juneuary @LG1043 pic.twitter.com/NRvUh5Egod
— Graham Hatch (@graham_hatch) June 14, 2016
The snow is part of a potent upper level low that also brought 'power showers' and thunderstorms with small hail across most of B.C. on Tuesday.
Several commuters at Coquitlam West Coast Express train station were forced to kick off their shoes, roll up their pants and wade through the water to get to work after heavy rain flooded the station. According to officials with TransLink, the drainage system at the station was able to disperse the flood waters within minutes and no injuries were reported.
The year of the flood.#WestCoastExpress tunnel at Coquitlam station. pic.twitter.com/S7TUk7sfzF
— Mariya Olshevska (@mariyaolshevska) June 14, 2016
"The upper low breaks apart with one sinking southwest and the other northeast into the Elbow of Alberta bringing heavy rain for the B.C. Peace region and Alberta's Grande Prairie," says Weather Network meteorologist Matt Grinter.
Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning with 60-80 mm possible over the next two days.
"Higher rainfall amounts near 100 mm are possible over communities on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains including Hudson Hope and Chetwynd," EC warns. "Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.
Conditions will slowly improve for the Lower Mainland into the end of the week with temperatures back to seasonal values for the weekend.