Residents of south and central British Columbia are expected to get a break from the winter blues, with a major warming trend inbound Thursday that could last the better part of a week.
“These will be the warmest temperatures of the year so far,” Global BC senior meteorologist Kristi Gordon said.
“There is a chance a few areas of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley could hit 20 C.”
Gordon said the inbound system is forecast to deliver temperatures between 5 and 15 C above normal for this time of the year.
The South Coast is expected to have its hottest days on Friday through Monday, while temperatures will peak in the Interior between Saturday and Tuesday, Gordon said.
“There is a chance we could see a few daily temperature records broken,” Gordon said.
“While this is fantastic news for all of the kids off for spring break, there is concern this heat will impact the province’s desperately-needed snowpack.”
Officials have already raised drought concerns for the spring and summer, with provincewide snowpack sitting about 34 per cent below seasonal averages as of March 1.
The Fraser River at Hope was measured at about 30 per cent below average, while for the Metro Vancouver area, the basin snow water index was below 50 per cent of normal.
“Thankfully this heat isn’t coming with rain,” Gordon said.
“A series of very warm and rainy days would have an even worse impact on the snow. These events are called snow eaters.”
Gordon stressed that while the province is certain to get warmer weather starting Thursday because the forecast is longer-range, specific details could change in the days to come.