Are you dreaming of a white Christmas in the Vancouver weather forecast? Or do you dread the prospect of a snow calamity in our windy and rainy West Coast city and prefer a green holiday week instead?
According to ECCC Meteorologist Derek Lee, the outlook is not looking good for snow lovers.
“Chances are pretty low for a white Christmas in Vancouver,” Lee told Daily Hive.
“For snow to happen, we need temps at 0°C or lower. If above 0°C, even just a little bit, we need heavier precipitation to drag the cold air down to see snow at a lower level.”
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Rain and showers dominate the holiday week ahead in Vancouver.
ECCC is forecasting daytime highs for Metro Vancouver ranging between 5°C and 8°C, with an overnight low on Christmas Eve dipping to 4°C.
Temperatures will dip down to 0°C overnight on Dec. 25, so there’s a possibility of flurries in the forecast. However, any white stuff will soon be washed away by showers and rain into the weekend.
ECCC
Lee explained that seasonal temperatures for Vancouver weather at this time of year tend to hover around a normal high of 6°C to 7°C, and a typical low of 1°C.
“There’s no clearing out from the heat from the recent Pacific storms due to ongoing cloud coverage,” he added.
“If you want to see snow, you may need to head to the North Shore mountains or Whistler.”
Mount Seymour
The three Metro Vancouver ski hills – Grouse Mountain, Cypress Mountain, and Mount Seymour — recently opened for the highly anticipated winter season.
This year has seen quite a delay in the local mountains’ opening compared to 2024, when Cypress, Grouse and Seymour were already in operation by this date.
Delays can be attributed to the chaotic weather that impacted Metro Vancouver and B.C. recently, from atmospheric rivers to record-breaking high temperatures.