Wednesday, May 18, 2022, 10:15 a.m. – Potential for record high winds that could affect ferry travel and also cause power outages by Wednesday in the southern part of BC.
Nail hatches, BC, will be a very bumpy ride on Wednesday. An unusually strong and fall-like storm is expected to trigger strong winds that could lead to widespread power outages and cancel or delay ferry services, among other travel disruptions. The system will not be so intense for precipitation, but good soaking is still forecast, while the alpine regions expect huge amounts of snowfall. More on what to expect with the upcoming storm and beyond, below.
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WEDNESDAY: POWERFUL STORM BRINGS RAIN, SNOW AND WIND
An unusually strong low-pressure system made its presence felt on Vancouver Island on Tuesday night, bringing intense southeast winds and heavy rainfall across much of the south coast early Wednesday. There are special weather forecasts and wind warnings.
As low as this, it can generate waves 5-7 meters high from the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, including hurricane-force wind gusts.
As the cold front passes, the winds will shift to intense westerly or southwesterly winds that will affect western Vancouver Island and potentially Qualikum, Victoria, the Lower Continent and the Fraser Valley by early Wednesday afternoon. Strong southerly winds will also head up from the sea to the sky.
The most intense winds will spread inland later Wednesday, reaching a peak on the western island of Vancouver in the first half of the day, with gusts over 90 km / h. There will be lower wind speeds in the Georgia Strait, usually 40-70 km / h for most of Wednesday, but stronger southwest winds near Victoria could be problematic as they will remain strong throughout the evening.
Upwinds are intensifying in the south of Vancouver Island, so it is possible to see mixed gusts approaching 90 km / h for the Gulf Islands and Greater Victoria – this will lead to power outages and possible delays on the ferry.
Strong gusts of wind will continue until Wednesday afternoon and early evening, but will fall below the warning criteria in the first.
“Buildings such as tiles and windows can be damaged. Strong winds can throw loose objects or cause tree branches to break. Strong winds can lead to power outages and fallen tree branches. “Be prepared to adjust your driving to changing road conditions due to strong winds,” says Canada’s Environment and Climate Change (ECCC).
For the coast, the rainfall will increase during the day on Wednesday, and will decrease during the night. Quantities will range from 15-40 mm for the lower continent and 50-75 mm for the Okanagan Valley and western Vancouver Island. Heavy rain shadow will drastically reduce rainfall in the southern parts of the Lower Continent and East Vancouver Island.
In addition, the freezing level is also persistently low, which means that it will probably be only a few hundred meters above sea level at times on Wednesday through the island of Vancouver. The mountain passes through the interior will also be covered with snow again, thanks to freezing levels of around 1,000 to 1,500 meters at night.
During the day, however, the levels will rise to 2,000 meters, so mixing is likely. The snow will increase early on Wednesday morning, which probably means a dangerous journey through the mountain passes. The largest amounts of snowfall will be in the areas from the sea to the sky, Kokihala and Alison Pass, where 15-30 + cm of snow are possible this week.
Conditions become drier at the end of the week and will continue for most of the weekend. The risk of precipitation returns on Monday, but no major storms are currently observed. Lower than seasonal temperatures will dominate over the next two weeks, until the end of May.
Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest updates to the forecast for British Columbia
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