Atmospheric river 'pointing a firehose' at Vancouver with up to 120 mm of rain
Vancouver is under a heavy rainfall warning to start the workweek, with an atmospheric river continuing to soak much of the South Coast in the week’s weather forecast.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a yellow-level weather alert for a “prolonged atmospheric river event” that will last until Wednesday, March 18.
Total rainfall accumulations are expected to reach between 90 and 120 mm.
Rain will also linger in the region until this weekend, when sunshine could make a return to help dry things out.
ECCC
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“The atmospheric river is pointing a firehose at us over the South Coast,” said Brian Proctor, a meteorologist with ECCC. “It’s going to be a wet week, though the biggest impacts will end on Wednesday.
“After the atmospheric river wanes, an onshore flow from the Pacific will bring periods of rain until Saturday.”
ECCC is warning of several impacts, including potential for flooding and “very enhanced responses” in river systems due to an extended duration of heavy rain on snow combined with mountain snow melt.
It also said that water pooling on roads and wash-outs may occur, and that there is a higher risk of landslides in the region due to landscape saturation.
Parts of Metro Vancouver also experienced some snowfall on Sunday evening.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship’s River Forecast Centre has issued a High Streamflow Advisory for the North Shore Mountains and Metro Vancouver tributaries.
“Smaller rivers and streams may respond quickly to intense rainfall and could experience rapid rises during periods of heavy precipitation,” said the River Forecast Centre.
“Stay safe in and around rivers throughout the region. Be prepared for challenging driving conditions and potential road washouts, and check local conditions on DriveBC.ca. Never drive through flood waters or across road washouts.”
Temperatures will remain high for much of the week, with daytime highs reaching up to 13˚C on Wednesday and Saturday.
However, overnight lows could dip down to 4˚C on Friday and just 2˚C on Saturday.
If you’re looking for some ideas on how to escape the Vancouver weather for the next few days, check out our list of 20 fantastic things to do this week.
Fill your schedule with Les Misérables, Goo Goo Dolls, spring break events, and more.