Following the news of "another parade of storms" hitting the province this week, a rainfall warning has been issued for much of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Environment Canada released the special weather statement on Tuesday morning (Nov. 23) alerting residents another round of heavy rain is on its way. The areas affected include the City of Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, the North Shore including West Vancouver and North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Surrey, Langley, Richmond and Delta.
While some uncertainty remains on the total expected rainfall, between 40 to 80 mm of rain is expected particularly near the mountains, the Sea to Sky corridor and the Sunshine Coast from Gibsons to Earls Cove.
.png;w=960)
“The next storm system is set to arrive on the BC South Coast overnight Wednesday,” Environment Canada explains. “This storm will be shorter-lived and less intense than the event over November 13-15, 2021.”
“However, it will still bring moderate to heavy rain and strong winds. Additionally, freezing levels will rise above mountain tops on Thursday. This may worsen recent flooding and impact vulnerable landscapes and infrastructure.”
The storm's timeline spans the night of Nov. 24 to the morning of Nov. 26 with strong southeast winds expected near the water on Nov. 25.
A recent report from AccuWeather notes this second storm "will be the one to really watch out for" as it is expected to bring heavy rain that could produce flooding and increase the risk of mudslides.
"Multiple waves of moisture will lead to excessive rainfall in the Pacific Northwest later this week into this weekend," said AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Dana Carron.
The storms will have a greater impact on places that have already experienced widespread flooding.
Another element that AccuWeather forecasters say could have potentially dangerous ramifications: warmth.
"Higher temperatures accompanying these systems will lead to snowmelt in the Washington Cascades and the Canadian Rockies which will further intensify the potential for flooding," said Carron.
As the snowmelt increases, it enhances the flooding of rivers and streams. If rivers or streams swell high enough, they could wash out roadways or even bridges, as was the case last week.
