Vancouver's weather will be wet, with rain, showers, and drizzle all in the forecast for the next week of February.
There might even be fog, just for some variety.
The weather pattern for B.C.'s south coast, including Metro Vancouver, will be "switching back to normal." says Environment Canada meteorologist Gary Lee.
"It should be familiar to the West Coasters," he tells V.I.A.
Already gone is the arctic air that was keeping the city crispy after snow in early February. Much of the white stuff has melted, in part thanks to the wet stuff falling on Sunday, Feb. 16.
"This week the ridge (of arctic air) moved eastwards, and the pattern has switched," says Lee.
End of the long weekend
That means the maritime air is back with a couple of weak systems moving through the area, including one Sunday, Feb. 16, and Monday, Feb. 17. The rain won't be intense, but it will be consistent.
Temperatures are predicted to rise up to 8 C with lows staying above the freezing level, between 3 C and 5 C.
"We do have breaks for the south coast, but you're still looking at drizzle and overcast skies, like on Tuesday," says Lee.
Beginning of the workweek
Lee expects the drizzle to last from Monday night through Tuesday afternoon.
By Tuesday night a new system is expected to arrive in the Lower Mainland, with the most intense rain of the week, not that it'll be particularly intense. Lee expects 10 to 20 mm to fall in most flat parts of Metro Vancouver, while the North Shore Mountains could see up to 40 mm.
The wind may be a more significant issue on Wednesday.
"That's going to create gusty winds on the Strait of Georgia," Lee says of the light storm. "We know it's going to be breezy along the coast; so far we're looking at strong southeasterly winds with gusts up to 60 km/h."
Temperatures throughout the week are expected to remain near the seasonal averages, with highs of 8 C and lows of 5 C.
Heading towards the weekend
Beyond the Wednesday system, Lee says it's uncertain exactly what to expect, but more precipitation is expected.
"The next system is approaching the central and north coast Thursday morning," he explains. "Another push of moisture is expected late Thursday to Friday."
