A cooler weather pattern will settle into B.C. as we kick off November this weekend.
In just three days, Canada will open it’s first ski resort of the season, Lake Louise, and the cool pattern couldn’t be more ideal. It’ll come with a price, though, including challenging, high-elevation travel and stormy conditions along the coast.
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There will likely be impacts to travel, including ferry delays and cancellations, as well as localized power outages, with the blustery winds, which could reach 90 km/h in some locales.
Rainfall totals could exceed 50 mm for parts of Vancouver Island and snowfall totals could range from 5-30 cm for the mountain passes.
Be sure to stay updated on the warnings in your area, as conditions can change quickly when significant fall storms hit.
This weekend into next week:
Cooler weather pattern settles into B.C. this weekend and beyond as storms drag in air from the Bering Sea and Alaska, dampening the freezing levels and providing widespread, high-elevation snow. More moisture is expected along the coast this time around.
Heavy rainfall and snowfall rates are expected to push inland Monday morning, with snow expected along most highway passes, creating challenging driving conditions.
This temperature contrast will create a rapidly developing low off the tip of northwestern Vancouver Island in the pre-dawn hours Monday morning. Heavy alpine snow is anticipated across the Coast Mountains.
The associated cold front will bring gusty, southeasterly winds across exposed coastal sections early on Monday. Victoria’s strongest winds will develop into Monday afternoon as the low drives inland, creating very gusty, southwesterly winds by the afternoon period.
Although the southeasterly winds are strong, gusts are expected to race down the Juan de Fuca Strait later Monday afternoon, with the potential hit 90 km/h. Sustained winds will be near 60 km/h for Victoria Harbour. Southwesterly winds will be the strongest across the Lower Mainland and western beaches of Metro Vancouver late-day Monday, gusting to more than 70 km/h.
Power outages are difficult to predict, but early season storms of this magnitude have been known to disrupt power to tens of thousands of customers.
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Gust forecast:
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Greater Victoria: 90 km/h
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Tofino: 80 km/h
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Gulf Islands: 80-90 km/h
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Comox and Campbell River: 70-80 km/h
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Lower Mainland (south of the Fraser) and Fraser Valley: 70-80 km/h
Rainfall forecast (Sunday to Monday):
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Greater Victoria:10-20 mm
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Tofino: 50-75 mm
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Gulf Islands: 10-20 mm
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Comox and Campbell River: 20-30 mm
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Lower Mainland (south of the Fraser) and Fraser Valley: 20-30 mm
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North Vancouver: 50+ mm
Winter driving is expected for those travelling along the mountain passes, so be mindful if you have any trekking plans. Power outages are an almost guarantee on Monday, as are ferry cancellations during peak winds. High tide is early Monday afternoon, so be extra mindful of wave-watching along the coast.
Winds will ease in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday as the low-pressure system moves inland.
An active pattern is expected to continue for the B.C. coast, including Vancouver and Victoria, through November. This is the wettest time of the year for the region, with near-normal or above-normal precipitation totals forecast for the month. This should allow the alpine snowpack to get off to a strong start as we head into the winter season.
Be sure to check back for the latest weather updates across British Columbia.