There are all sorts of weird weather terms we’re exposed to in BC and Vancouver, but Omega Block is not something you hear every day, and it happens to be hanging over the province, according to The Weather Network.
While it might sound like something from a video game, an omega block isn’t very exciting and prevents any real weather action from occurring.
It isn’t great news for skiers, according to the weather agency.
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Earlier this year, the Lower Mainland was hit with a “Rex block,” which works similarly. The reason it’s called an omega block is that the pattern itself resembles the Greek letter omega. The block is currently developing over the west coast, and it’s essentially a ridge of high pressure that prevents “just about any active weather” from moving past that block.
To put it in simple terms, The Weather Network calls it a weather traffic jam that will starve BC of rain or snow for the next week or two.
“It’s a skier’s worst nightmare,” says The Weather Network.
The Weather Network
“The skies are going to clear out and a blocking pattern will prevent snow from falling over British Columbia just in time for the ski season to get underway.”
It’s not all bad news for skiers though. With lower-than-normal freezing levels expected in ski-friendly areas, The Weather Network says it should be easier for resorts to crank up the snow machines.
The Weather Network suggests that things will feel “eerily calm” across the province for the second half of November.
Winter came early
BC and most of the Lower Mainland were hit with winter-like weather a lot earlier than residents are used to, and that reality took place before this impending omega block. In addition, the region has already seen snow much earlier than in previous years.
Vancouver has also approached near-record cold over the last few days.
š„Today’s ~6am low of -4.0Ā°C is the lowest temperature Vancouver has recorded on Nov 9th since records began in 1937. #YvrWx #BCWx pic.twitter.com/Dg6fS6abk3
ā Vancouver Weather Recordsš¤ (@YVR__Weather) November 9, 2022
The Weather Network’s forecast seems to support the theories surrounding the omega block, with only minimal rain expected on Friday. However, the next seven days are mostly clear and warmer than the earlier part of the month.
The Weather Network