The temperature is going to drop – but not as much as some weather networks are forecasting.
Rather than the -27 C range expected northwest of the region, the Shuswap will experience lows in the range of -13.
Extreme weather meteorologist Doug Lundquist says the main message Environment Canada wants to get out is that people should clear their driveways and sidewalks while the weather is still warm.
“We had flow from Hawaii collide with Arctic air just north of us; that’s why we got all that snow,” he says of Tuesday night’s storm. “Arctic and subtropical air masses collided and now a low will develop in this collision zone today and move east of B.C. on Friday,” Lundquist said. “Then nothing will stop the Arctic air from flooding into the Shuswap.”
And that will mean very unpleasant and slippery conditions for anyone who does not clean their driveways or walkways.
“We’re going to get -13 Saturday night into Sunday and highs of -8 or -9,” he says. “By the middle of next week, it starts to warm up… but not as warm as it is now –closer to average with highs around zero.”
Lundquist says in an El Nino year, November can be the worst month of the season and overall, Environment Canada is still expecting winter in the Shuswap to be milder than normal.
“El Nino is just setting up now and is not yet in full force, but December through February will likely be milder,” he says, pointing out the waters of Pacific are still really warm and that’s where storms are coming from.
