BC hit by heavy rain, snow and power outages

BCs Christmas fun could be dampened by another strong storm hitting the south coast on Wednesday. Heavy rain, snow and strong winds are expected, potentially disrupting holiday plans.

The holiday celebrations this week have been hit hard as several back-to-back systems make their rounds to the coast.

This week’s weather has been the theme of the season as BC’s coast has been hit by several significant storms that have caused widespread power outages and deadly landslides.

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The first storm swept into the province on Tuesday, bringing high winds, light rain and heavy alpine snow. Another system is on the way, just in time for Christmas. With strong gusts expected, people should ensure devices are charged and prepare for power outages.

Be sure to check local weather warnings and highway conditions before heading out on or before Christmas Day to visit loved ones as travel is likely to be significantly affected.

It’s starting to look a lot like an extremely wet Christmas

Christmas Day is set to be wet, with heavy rain expected to arrive on the south coast.

Another system will bring even heavier rain Wednesday morning and peak in the afternoon.

West Vancouver Island is preparing for a torrential downpour, with rainfall amounts in excess of 20 mm/h. Metro Vancouver won’t miss out either with peak speeds of 10mm/h.

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While Victoria may see some relief due to a rain shadow effect, widespread heavy rain is expected across the region.

Forecasters are warning of 100-200+ mm of rain for western Vancouver Island and 50-75+ mm for the Lower Mainland, increasing the risk of localized flooding. Strong winds gusting to 60-90 km/h across the strait and up to 90-100 km/h on western Vancouver Island will further complicate the situation, threatening power outages, ferry disruptions and dangerous waves.

Further inland, the freezing level is expected to drop to 700 metres, allowing for showers to possibly fall at lower elevations. The snow will particularly affect travel along the motorway passes Coquihalla Highway and Allison Pass.

Rainy and windy strait conditions will continue through Thursday. The Greater Victoria area must brace for a windy Christmas Day, with some models predicting gusts of up to 100km/h.

Stay with The Weather Network for more forecasts and updates on your weather in BC

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