It’s about to get warmer on B.C.’s south coast

Warmer weather and sunshine are on the way to Metro Vancouver.

After days of deluge and cool temperatures, the forecast many spring breakers have been anxiously waiting for is here on B.C.’s south coast—warmer weather and sunshine.

Temperatures are expected to climb significantly in Metro Vancouver Tuesday, with Environment Canada predicting a high of 15 C and 18 C inland. Forecasters say the rain will end in the morning before giving way to a mix of sun and cloud.

“The atmospheric river is slowly lifting away from the south coast region and now a ridge of high pressure is starting to take hold over the Metro Vancouver region, and with that comes warmer temperatures”, explains Colin Fong, a meteorologist with Environment Canada.

“This would put as at about 5 degrees above normal for the period, not unusually warm but it’s still warmer for the period.”

The mercury will climb to 16 C on Wednesday, and 19 C inland, according to the federal weather agency, though there is a 40 per cent chance of showers in the late afternoon and evening.

Fong adds the warm weather event will be short-lived, with the rain returning on Thursday and the temperatures cooling down.

“We may see some isolated showers sneak into the region as well as a risk of thunderstorms during the day”, says Fong.

Environment Canada predicts a rainy Thursday and Friday, before a sunny weekend in the mid-teens.

Despite the rain returning, Fong says “we’re not looking at anywhere near the kinds of rainfall that we saw just this past weekend.”

The warmest day recorded at the Vancouver weather station at YVR so far this year was Feb. 27, when it reached 14.9 degrees—a record that is likely to fall this week.

Similar weather conditions are expected in Greater Victoria, where temperatures will remain in the double digits until at least Monday.