It looks like Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island will have a white Christmas.
It looks like Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island will have a white Christmas.
“I think we can probably, definitely say by midday Christmas Day we should be seeing snow for much of the Capital Regional District,” Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said Thursday.
“My definition of a white Christmas is two centimetres on the ground. And it will be getting colder.”
Weather conditions specificwere issued for Greater Victoria, Malahat and east and inland Vancouver Island as well as the southern Gulf Islands.
All those areas are expected to see snow tonight and Sunday. Expect colder temperatures tonight and into next week. A special blast from Arctic air will be blowing towards the coast on Christmas Day.
Proctor said that the Gulf of Alaska’s northwest flow has been sweeping across southern B.C. for the past three weeks. This has brought unseasonable conditions such as 11 hours of freezing rain to Abbotsford. The flow is now moving west, allowing colder air to seep out of the interior of the province and arrive here on Christmas Day.
But it’s a complicated weather pattern and will be variable, said Proctor. Initial rain will be in some areas, which will turn to snow by Saturday.
“We’re expecting some snowfall down the east side of Vancouver Island overnight [Thursday night] [this] morning. The main precipitation for the [capital region] will arrive beginning Christmas Eve evening and continuing into Christmas Day,” the meteorologist said.
Snowfall will become more widespread as the airmass around south coast cools.
Temperatures are expected to remain below seasonal levels until December 31, as the cold Arctic air moves around the south coast. The overnight temperature will drop to 0 °C tonight, -4 °C on Christmas Day and -8 °C on Boxing Day, said Proctor. Temperatures will then oscillate between -5 °C to -8 °C overnight until the New Year.
Environment Canada has warned about an increase in hypothermia, frostbite, and other conditions. The agency advised that you take precautions and wear appropriate clothing outside.
Send an email to [email protected], or tweet #BCStorm to report severe weather.
