While calendars are changing this week, the weather won't be.
Grey, damp and mild weather is expected for the foreseeable future in Metro Vancouver, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Trevor Smith.
"There's a weak system moving through and it has mild rain," he says.
For Monday, Dec. 30, that means showers for the rest of the day with a high around 8 C.
New Year's Eve and Day predictions
Things should be a bit drier on Tuesday, Dec. 31, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, but Smith notes there's still a 40 per cent chance of showers each day.
"It looks like just a chance of showers," Smith says of New Year's Eve evening. "I think it'll be dry."
It'll also be warm for this time of year, even in Vancouver, with overnight lows around 4 C on Dec. 31 (and, in fact, the rest of the week). Normal lows for the New Year's period are around 0 C.
"We're still fairly mild for late December and early January," says Smith.
That means wet roads late Dec. 31 or early Jan. 1, but there shouldn't be any ice.
"It looks like we should stay above freezing," notes Smith.
The grey skies will likely drop a few showers on Vancouver on Jan. 1, 2025, but it shouldn't be too bad.
"Overall, the first day of the year will be mainly cloudy and fairly dry," says Smith, adding that it should be decent weather for the polar bear swim.
Rainier weather coming for city, bad travel conditions on B.C. highways
On Friday, Jan. 3, a shift in the weather is expected as a stronger system moves to the coast, says Smith.
"Friday and the weekend look interesting, especially for travellers," he says.
While Metro Vancouver and the nearby lowlands will get rain, higher elevations and mountain passes will see snow.
"I would advise people to look at the local forecast as we get closer to the weekend," he suggests.
No snow yet
In the city, no snow is in the forecast for the foreseeable future.
"Over the next 10 days, there's no snow in the lowlands," Smith says. "There's a mild and wet pattern next week."
He notes Environment Canada weather models are fairly confident Vancouver weather will remain mild and damp with grey skies until at least Jan. 9.
"We'll see some rain each day next week, and temperatures probably above average with overnight lows around 2 to 3 C and daytime highs of 6 or 7 C," he forecasts.
The arctic air necessary for Vancouver to get snow remains in the Yukon and there are no signs of a large air mass heading south anytime soon.
