Get ready, southern British Columbia: The relatively warm winter we’ve all been experiencing is about to end, as cold weather is going to crash the party.
Starting Thursday, Environment Canada is projecting the mercury to drop 15 to 20 degrees, with overnight temperatures falling well below freezing.
In Vancouver, the national weather agency is forecasting temperatures to hit -10 C Thursday evening, then stabilizing to around -7 C for the next three nights. Daylight highs will be in the -1 to -3 C range.
The forecast for the Lower Mainland also includes a 30 to 60 per cent chance of flurries Thursday through Saturday.
Victoria will have slightly warmer temperatures Thursday through Saturday, with Thursday dropping from a high of 5 C to an overnight low of -8 C. Friday and Saturday will have daytime highs of -1 to -2 C and lows of -5 to -6 C.
In the Okanagan, temperatures will be much colder, with Thursday seeing a high of -9 C and a low of -20 C. For Friday, Saturday and Sunday, daily highs will be around -12 C to -15 C, with overnight lows around -17 to -18 C.
In the Shuswap, temperatures will be between -11 C and -22 C.
In the Cariboo and Prince George regions, the cold weather will sweep in Tuesday night, with temperatures dropping to -23 C overnight.
Thursday through Sunday will see even colder bone-chilling temperatures, with highs around -30 C and overnight lows of -32 C to -44 C.
“Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has forecast a return to seasonal, cooler temperatures and issued a series of snowfall and wind warnings for many regions of the province,” B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said on Tuesday.
“People are encouraged to frequently check weather conditions and forecasts through ECCC for the latest updates.”
The ministry is also cautioning motorists to be prepared for changing road conditions and avoid unnecessary travel if conditions are bad.
“People who use the backcountry for recreational activities are urged to be mindful of conditions and use extreme caution in mountainous terrain,” added the ministry.
It also noted that power outages are possible during cold snaps and that emergency warming centres will be listed on EmergencyMapBC at the discretion of First Nations and local authorities.
“This winter, the province is funding more than 5,500 shelter spaces in 55 communities throughout the province, including permanent, temporary and extreme-weather response (EWR) shelters,” said the ministry.
“EWR spaces open overnight when a community issues an extreme weather alert, such as during cold temperatures, snow or heavy rain. More shelter spaces will open this winter season as communities identify additional sites.”