While you might be smiling in the sunshine this afternoon, the Metro Vancouver forecast includes some tempestuous weather this weekend.
Starting on Tuesday, March 28, Environment Canada calls for a string of bluebird days through Thursday, with double-digit highs soaring up to 13 C on the coast and 17 C inland. However, the weather is expected to shift starting Friday.
Environment Canada meteorologist Derek Lee said parts of the Lower Mainland may see some rain mixed with wet snow Friday morning, particularly places over higher terrain.
"The freezing levels are going to be lower over the weekend," he told V.I.A., noting that places above 300 to 500 meters may even have some accumulation of snowfall, although they would be modest amounts.
Places that might see a dusting of the white stuff include the North Shore mountains and Burnaby Mountain. However, there may still be some mixed precipitation at places closer to sea level.
Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes snow and thunderstorms
Daytime temperatures are still expected to be mild, with places closer to sea level reaching a high of 11 C and those with higher elevations climbing to 10 C. Overnight lows will be decidedly frigid, with lows dipping down to 3 C at sea level and around zero at higher elevations, Lee explained.
But locals should also brace for some possible thunderstorms this weekend.
"Whenever there's a really cold air mass aloft and the ground is warmer, the warm air will rise and then that leads to thunderstorms," he said.
Thunderstorms aren't rare at this time of year and Lee noted that the region has a "good chance of thunderstorms," Sunday afternoon. That said, the department isn't expecting a wild display, and the region will likely only see a couple of flashes of lightning with thunder.
Locals are most likely to see the wet snow in West Vancouver starting Friday morning and then later overnight Friday and into Saturday morning.
The current long-term model for April is showing near or below-normal temperatures for Metro Vancouver.
Have a look at Environment Canada's complete spring forecast for Metro Vancouver.
