VANCOUVER – It's going to be a soggy few days in Metro Vancouver, as a special weather statement warns the entire south coast can expect heavy rain and severe wind.
Environment Canada's weather statement says it's going to be a "wet and windy weekend for coastal B.C." with significant amounts of rain expected over the weekend.
Environment Canada says to plan for the rain to start Friday morning, but that the chance of showers should decrease to 60 per cent in the afternoon. Highs are forecast to reach 13 C, but it's expected to be fairly windy. Overnight, lows could dip to 9.
The rain is expected to pick up significantly Saturday morning.
"Given the tropical origin of the atmospheric river, freezing levels will be on the rise upwards of 3,000 metres for the South Coast and close to 2,500 metres for the North Coast," the weather statement says.
"The mild air will result in rain at almost all elevations. High runoff and rising river levels are likely through the weekend."
The weather statement warns the Sunshine Coast, Howe Sound and the North Shore mountains could also see significant rain, potentially exceeding the rainfall warning criteria of 50 millimetres in a 24-hour period.
"In addition to the heavy rain, strong winds will also accompany the moisture-laden system," the statement says. "Exposed coastal communities along west Vancouver Island, the central and north coasts will likely experience wind gusts in excess of 90 km/h on Saturday morning."
Metro Vancouver's not alone with the wet weather. Victoria, Whistler, Kelowna, Prince George and Prince Rupert are just some of the B.C. spots with rain in their weekend forecast.
In Vancouver, Saturday is expected to be a little cooler with highs of 11, while Sunday could reach highs of 15.
Heading into next week, the risk of rain in Vancouver could lessen, with cloud and a 40 per cent chance of showers in Monday morning's forecast.
This stretch of rain is dramatic shift from the first part of the month, when Vancouver set a record for the longest period of no precipitation ending in November. As of last Thursday, the city hadn't seen rain for 13 days, Environment Canada said.
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