April showers are on the way to B.C.'s South Coast.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Friday afternoon warning of "a long duration rainfall event" that's expected to impact the region over the long weekend, from Friday night, April 7 until Sunday evening, April 9.
The special weather statement is in effect for most of the southwest corner of the province, including Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Pemberton.
The weather agency says strong southwest flows will be responsible for directing two weather systems towards the coast and Sea to Sky corridor this weekend. "Steady rain will begin tonight over Vancouver Island and Saturday morning over the Lower Mainland," the alert reads. "The rain will continue into Saturday night as a second system embedded in the flows arrives on Sunday."
Though rainfall amounts will vary significantly between regions, between 30 and 150 millimetres of rain could fall over the South Coast Easter weekend. Rising freezing levels and melting snow are also expected to bring about rising river flows and the potential for localized flooding in some areas.
A total of 21.4 mm of precipitation fell in Whistler last month, to put that into context, while a monthly total of 80.8 mm fell in April 2022.
In Whistler, Friday afternoon's mostly sunny conditions were expected to give rise to wet flurries and rain showers overnight, resulting in about 5 mm of rainfall. Forecasters are calling for about 10 to 15 more millimetres of rain to continue falling on Saturday, with more showers anticipated on Saturday night and Easter Sunday—you might want to consider pulling out the rain boots for any Easter egg hunts. Or better yet, ski boots.
The good news? Those rainy conditions are likely to mean snow in the alpine, with freezing levels expected to initially hover around 1000 metres before rising Saturday night. Whistler Blackcomb's weather report predicts Sunday's freezing level to reach about 1,700 metres, or just below the Rendezvous and Roundhouse lodges. The forecast calls for between 10 and 15 centimetres of snow accumulation in the alpine on Sunday.
Stay tuned to Pique's weather forecast for up-to-date conditions and predictions.
