The turquoise water at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park turned even dreamier on Sunday as snow turned the popular hiking spot north of Whistler into a winter wonderland.
Yes, snow in June.
A hiker captured the beautiful scenery by posting the pictures on Instagram, and many are amazed.
View this post on Instagram
Another hiker posted pictures showing a dusting of snow on Wednesday, adding that the trail “felt like a scene in The Hobbit or the LOTR.”
View this post on Instagram
Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Philippe-Alain Bergeron told Daily Hive that snow in June at such elevation is rare but not unprecedented.
“It’s not very common, but it’s not unheard of either,” said Bergeron.
The elevation of Joffre Lake is around 1,5oo metres.
A cold front swept the region along the Strait of Georgia the past week. The temperature dropped to as low as 5Ā°C in Whistler on Sunday.
Bergeron explained that the freezing level is usually about 2,000 metres but the cold bubble, more commonly known as “June-uary,” changed that.
“That’s the only logical pattern I would say [that leads to] snowing at a low or mid-elevation of 1,500 metres than the typical snowing level.”
Have you ever run into snow during June in BC? Let us know in the comments.