All of sudden things are looking like there will be white on the ground for Christmas in Kamloops and Okanagan cities.
Image Credit: PEXELS
December 22, 2020 - 4:29 PM
The weather can change dramatically from one day to the next this time of year.
Kamloops and Okanagan cities were basking in record-setting temperatures on the weekend, with only the slimmest of chances forecast for a white Christmas this coming Friday, Dec. 25.
Then came yesterday’s snowfall, which caught everyone by surprise.
“It was a miracle. That was a very unusual weather pattern to give us that much snow,” Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says.
“Kamloops had 12 cm, Kelowna had 5 cm downtown, while West Kelowna had 20 cm. Penticton had around 9 cm and Vernon around 18 cm. It’s going to be a little above normal today, but I think the snow that fell yesterday is deep enough it will still be here Christmas Day,” Lundquist says.
After today's above zero temperatures, most locations' daily highs will be at or below 0 Celsius for the next few days.
Higher elevations saw some of the biggest snowfall of the season to date, with parts of the Coquihalla Highway receiving upwards of 30 cm, and parts of the Hope-Princeton Highway 3 seeing more than 60 cm.
Lundquist says, looking ahead, the latest models suggest snow could begin falling around midnight on Christmas Day.
“I’ve noticed the computer models are often six hours behind in predicting precipitation, so there is a chance we’ll see some snow fall yet on Christmas Day. If that happens, it will be what we call a ‘perfect Christmas,’ with two or more centimetres on the ground and snow falling Christmas Day. We really lucked out this week, if you like snow,” Lundquist says.
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