It’s a gloomy, wet start to the unofficial start of summer.
Yet residents in the Okanagan seem OK with the less-than-stellar weather for this May long weekend.
That’s because with a snowpack level that’s 60 per cent of normal, rain is being welcomed throughout the valley — along with snow at higher levels.
Earlier this week, Environment Canada issued snowfall alerts for mountain passes in the Southern Interior, saying an incoming and unstable cold front could result in parts of the Coquihalla Highway, Okanagan Connector and Highway 3 seeing 2-5 cm of snow.
Issued Thursday morning, that alert was still in effect on Saturday morning.
“Snow levels will hover near pass level for some high-elevation traveller routes and periodic snowshowers can be expected,” said the national weather agency.
At the Pennask Summit along the Okanagan Connector on Saturday at noon, the roads were clear, though the skies were cloudy.
It was also just above freezing, at 1.9 C, with just a trace of snow having fallen in the last 12 hours.
It was the same scenario at the summit of the Coquihalla Highway, where it was 3.1 C at noon and no precipitation in the previous 12 hours.
The regional forecast will see cloudy skies and a 40 -to 60-per cent chance of showers on Saturday, with a high of around 14 to 17 C and the mercury dropping to 5 C overnight.
For Sunday, it’ll be more of the same, though with a 30-per cent chance of showers with a high of 16 to 19 C and a low of 3 C.
Monday’s forecast will be sunny with a high of 21 C.
Also this week, the province released its weekly snow conditions bulletin.
It said significant heat from May 9-12 triggered rapid snowmelt across the province.
“On average, 17 per cent of the seasonal snowpack melts by May 15. This year, 31 per cent melted by May 15,” it said.
“Last year (2023), the melt was even quicker with 43 per cent melting by the middle of the month due to even warmer temperatures.”