If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas in Victoria, you might want to trade those visions of snowfall for a more familiar West Coast drizzle.
According to Environment Canada (ECCC), warm, rain-heavy systems rolling in from the Pacific will likely dominate the forecast, leaving little room for the cold Arctic air needed for some powder.
“We’re not going to see any incursions of arctic air from the north,” ECCC meteorologist Matt Lomey told Daily Hive.
“There’s a near 0% chance of a white Christmas for both the Lower Mainland and Southern sea level areas of the Northern Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.”
In the short term, Victoria is looking like it’s usual winter self: high chances of showers and lows slightly above zero.
While southern Vancouver Island will stay cozy in mild temperatures throughout the holidays, those craving a snowy fix can still find their holiday wonderland at higher elevations like Mount Washington, where the slopes opened early this season.
“On Vancouver Island, the mountains will get their share of snow,” Lomey said. “Ski resorts should be seeing good levels of snow pack and maintaining themselves through Christmas.”
Lomey said, with a caveat, weather models can be best predicted 10 days out, and sometimes, especially now, weather can change quite fast.
That caveat is La Niña — a natural climate pattern expected this winter that typically leads to cooler northwest flow and higher chances of Arctic air and precipitation across the Pacific Northwest.
Loney said that if that does change, it’s better to be prepared just in case and always have an emergency kit in your car.
But as of now, it looks like a classic West Coast Christmas.
What do you think of this prediction? Let us know in the comments below!