Endless Snow for the B.C. Alpine: Active Weekend Ahead
theweathernetwork.com
Saturday, April 14, 2018, 11:48 AM - If it's true what they say about April showers bringing May flowers, British Columbia should be set up for some blockbuster blooms after this week.
We take a look at the wet weekend ahead, below.
Weather Highlights:
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Heavy rain expected for coastal sections on Friday, along with gusty SE winds developing near Georgia Strait
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Wind gusts to peak through Friday afternoon for the South Coast, approaching 70 km/h near the water
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Whistler looking at significant alpine snow through Saturday with in excess of 30 cm of accumulation for higher elevations
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Rounds of heavy rain target the province over and over for the next few days, as the onshore flow pushes waves of Pacific moisture off a rather stationary trough in the Gulf of Alaska, which features enough cool air to continue to add snowpack into the alpine.
By Saturday, parts of Vancouver Island are looking at more than 50 mm of rainfall, while freezing levels peak on Friday at approximately 1500 metres for mountainous regions near the South Coast.
CONTINUING UNSETTLED, MAIN SYSTEM FRIDAY-SATURDAY
The complex topography of the South Coast will provide varying precipitation amounts with Victoria seeing as little as 10-15 mm of rainfall this weekend. Consequently, the heaviest precipitation will fall in locations like Tofino and North Vancouver–and these regions can see upwards of 50 mm of rain by Saturday.
If you're considering driving across any of B.C.'s high elevation mountain passes, snowfall is expected throughout some of the major highway passes, including regions in southeast British Columbia. The coastal mountain range intercepts the most moisture from the Pacific, so expect snowfall totals to be highest in this section of the province.
The pattern relaxes some as we head into early next week, with isolated showers lingering, but a weak area of high pressure attempts to protect the coastal region from major storms. Upper level disturbances will still likely impact the region, delaying the onset of spring-like weather which means a lack of abundant sunshine for the coast
