Winter starts today, and it’s bringing a “parade of storms” that could extend through much of next week, says an Environment Canada meteorologist.
“There’s essentially a storm almost every day,” Armel Castellan said. “We’re getting frontal wave after frontal wave.”
The one thing that parade of storms is not bringing is a white Christmas, at least for Victoria, which can expect a “100 per cent green Christmas,” Castellan said.
Officially, as defined by Environment Canada, a white Christmas is one where there’s at least two centimetres of snow on the ground on Christmas morning.
Temperatures will be dropping into next week, but not enough to bring snow near sea level, Castellan said.
Capital region residents can expect windy conditions to start by late Saturday morning, with gusts approaching 70 kilometres per hour. The winds will abate but are expected to return at similar strength on Sunday morning.
While wind warnings might be issued, they are more likely to be for the north Island, Castellan said.
Showers are also on the horizon in the capital region in the next few days, but no major rain events, he said.
In the Comox Valley, people are being warned to to stay away from all sections of the Puntledge River due to rising water flows.
B.C. Hydro increased the release of water to the river in expectation of steady rain raising the level of the reservoir at the Comox dam, which generates hydroelectric power.
B.C. Hydro spokesperson Karla Louwers said the utility had been releasing about 33 cubic metres per second but increased it to 80 cubic metres per second on Thursday night.
Similar measures are expected to continue through Jan. 2.
Meanwhile, B.C. Ferries said it’s keeping a close watch on the weather as it prepares for a busy holiday travel period, with extra sailings being added on key routes.
B.C. Ferries spokesperson Shiryn Sayani said the company is monitoring forecasts and working with marine forecasters to assess potential impacts from the approaching weather system.
“While it’s too early to confirm any service disruptions, we want to ensure customers are prepared for the possibility of cancellations or delays if weather conditions make sailing unsafe.”
Go to for information about current conditions and schedules.
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