Technology
River Forecast Centre upgrades flood warning for part of coastal B.C. (Kelowna)
UPDATE: 8:45 p.m.
British Columbia's River Forecast Centre has issued an upgraded flood warning for areas around Terrace and Kitimat as an autumn storm soaks the coast.
The centre says the warning covers the Skeena River and its tributaries in the Terrace area, as well as the Kitimat and Kemano rivers and their tributaries.
Its latest bulletin says there were "no specific flood concerns" for the Skeena or Kitsumkalum rivers in the Terrace area as of Thursday, but weather stations near the city had recorded very high amounts of rainfall.
The centre says smaller streams, many of which do not have gauges to record their levels, "may have significant flow responses" to the deluge.
It says the Kitimat River was flowing at a two-year return period, or the average interval between floods of a particular intensity, and rising rapidly on Thursday.
The forecaster is maintaining lower-level flood watches for the rest of the north and central coast — excluding Haida Gwaii — as well as northern Vancouver Island, while high streamflow advisories cover the south coast and Sea to Sky region.
It says rainfall totals so far range from 80 to 100 millimetres or more on the north coast, while western Vancouver Island has seen between 60 to 100 millimetres.
The bulletin says the central and south coast have not yet received significant rain, but that's expected to change as the storm moves south later Thursday and Friday.
The centre says rainfall amounts forecast through Friday are in the 60 to 120 millimetre range for the central coast, while the south coast and Lower Mainland could see 50 to 130 millimetres, with 40 to 60 millimetres around Pemberton.
The bulletin comes after Environment Canada expanded weather alerts earlier Thursday for parts of the province, saying heavy rain and strong winds were expected over coastal areas and parts of B.C.'s central Interior.
A rainfall warning covers the Howe Sound region, while a lower-level advisory is in effect for Metro Vancouver, warning of moderate rain and strong winds.
In the central Interior, the weather office says winds with gusts of speeds up to 90 kilometres per hour were expected to weaken later Thursday.
In the Fraser Canyon, winds are expected to ease by Friday morning.
BC Hydro has meanwhile told customers to prepare for the weather, including by securing any patio furniture or other loose items outdoors.
The Crown utility notes 14,000 customers lost power during a windstorm last November when a patio furniture cover blew off a deck in White Rock and struck a substation.
UPDATE 12:45 p.m.
The first atmospheric river of the fall season is set to move into B.C. over the next few days, but the Thompson-Okanagan should escape the brunt of the storm.
Environment Canada has issued rain warnings for the northern and central coast, most of Vancouver Island and Howe Sound and wind warnings for Prince George, the Cariboo — Chilcotin, Stuart -Nechako, and the central and Sunshine coasts.
“Probably the only area of the Southern Interior that is really going to be problematic could be through the Fraser Canyon/Lytton area, where we’re likely to see some fairly strong winds,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor.
Wind gusts for the Fraser Canyon and other areas under warning criteria could hit 90 km/h. Proctor said the strongest gusts will be on the north end of Vancouver Island, where it could top 130 km/h.
While it will be breezy in the Okanagan as we head into the weekend, the wind gusts will be much milder.
“I think we’ll probably see maybe 30 km/h, gusting to 50 km/h through the Okanagan Valley, out of the south for much of Friday, probably continuing again on Saturday,” said Proctor. “So, it will be breezy, but not anything in warning criteria or some of the areas are going to see.”
Rainfall will also be moderate. Proctor says the Kelowna area will likely get 10 to 20 millimetres.
“Just look for increasing cloud, probably through the overnight period,” he said.
“Periods of rain tomorrow, beginning probably late in the morning and sort of tapering off. Maybe a little bit overnight but in general, it looks like it’s going to be fairly showery, wet kind of weekend right through Sunday at this point of time in the Okanagan.”
There is a chance of snowfall on Southern Interior mountain highway passes, but it’s not a strong possibility. Last weekend there was significant snowfall on Highway 97C, the Okanagan Connector.
“I don’t think we’ll see snow on the Connector through the first portion of the end of the week and into this weekend," said Proctor.
"But we may see more precipitation, maybe some snow, sort of Saturday afternoon/evening on the Connector. So, it’s something to be prepared for, watch out for, but I think the initial impulse will be freeze levels that will be high enough that it should stay in the form of rain.”
Proctor notes that while the weather system moving into B.C. is an atmospheric river, it should be much milder and faster-moving than an intense system that caused widespread flooding in parts of the province in late 2021.
-with files from The Canadian Press
ORIGINAL 11:44 a.m.
Environment Canada has expanded its weather alerts for British Columbia amid a major fall storm, warning of heavy rain accompanied by strong winds over south and central parts of the province.
The forecaster says downpours should be expected for much of Thursday, amounting to anywhere from 80 to 140 millimetres, depending on the location.
Rain warnings are up for the northern and central coast and their inland sections, most of Vancouver Island and Howe Sound.
Wind warnings are in place for Prince George, the Cariboo — Chilcotin, Stuart -Nechako, and the central and Sunshine coasts, with gusts up to 90 kilometres per hour, although that will lift by late Thursday.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre has widened its flood watches and high streamflow advisories to all of the coastal and some inland sections of B.C., with the exception of Haida Gwaii, saying river levels could rise rapidly and may spill over their banks.
BC Hydro is telling customers to prepare for the wind and rain, including securing outdoor items like patio furniture and decorations, noting that 14,000 customers lost power last year when a patio furniture cover blew off a deck in White Rock and hit a substation.
