People living on B.C.’s South Coast are in for a soggy weekend, with a series of four Pacific systems set to move across the region.
Global BC Senior Meteorologist Kristi Gordon says the South Coast will see four wet weather systems, one per day, Friday through Monday.
“Two of these systems, Saturday and Sunday, will be Atmospheric Rivers however the ‘fire hose’ of rain is forecast to target areas just south of the U.S. border,” Gordon said.
Despite this, the region is expected to see a “prolonged period of rain,” with up to 80 millimetres of rain through Monday.
That’s more than double the precipitation that has fallen on the region through the first three weeks of February and would push the month’s rainfall back to average after nearly two weeks of dry weather, Gordon said.
“This amount of rain will be primarily beneficial to the region,” Gordon said.
“However, increased rainfall rates on Saturday and Sunday may cause some hazards like minor flooding, including pooling water on roads and reduced visibility.”
Temperatures in Metro Vancouver are also forecast to climb to 11 C to 12 C, likely pushing freezing levels above the local mountains, with the potential to melt some of the lower and mid-elevation snowpack,” Gordon said.
The exact timing and position of those systems could change in the coming days, and Gordon advised people to stay tuned to weather forecasts for updates.