It’s starting to feel a lot like spring in Greater Victoria but if the seasonal forecasts are right, the next two months will be pretty stormy.
“We think the jet stream is going to be coming primarily into British Columbia, which is basically a highway path of storms coming in,” says AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson.
AccuWeather’s just released its spring forecast and it’s predicting the stormy conditions will mean a wetter than normal spring — all thanks to continuing La Niña.
“Expect several storms in spring, some potent storms as well, which would bring heavy rain to the coast in March and into April,” Anderson explains.
How much rain? Forecasters say B.C.’s south coast could see 125 to 200 per cent of our typical rainfall this month.
Instead of 78 mm, which is normal for Victoria in March, it might be closer to 100 mm and up to 157 mm — that’s more than what November, our wettest month, typically gets.
Forecasters say B.C.’s south coast could see 125 to 200 per cent of our typical rainfall this month.
In the mountains, an active storm track means more snow through March and early April and an extended ski season.
But that comes with a high avalanche risk and that’s not the only danger.
“I think we’re going to be dealing with some pretty good wind storms so coastal areas could see a lot of wind, potentially damaging wind, this spring,” says Anderson.
The wet weather and higher snow-pack would also mean an elevated risk for significant flooding.
Temperatures are forecast to be below seasonal for most of B.C., but near normal for Vancouver Island — except for a bit of a chill next week.
“We’re going to see pieces of cold air coming down through Alaska and the Yukon into British Columbia in the next week or two so it does look like temperatures will be slightly colder than normal,” Anderson says.
READ MORE: Winter wallop caps off week of wild weather on Vancouver Island
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