Wind warning continues in Metro Vancouver, atmospheric river expected Tuesday into Wednesday

The Story

A wind warning remained in place for Metro Vancouver on Sunday morning, Nov. 8, as instability followed a cold front that moved over the city overnight.

Environment Canada meteorologist Morgen Shull said the wind conditions are expected to gust for a couple of hours, and that gusts of 90 km/h were possible under the warning but were unlikely to be that strong and would be very localized if they occur.

Shull said she expects most gusts to stay under 70 km/h, noting a gust in Hope hit 75 km the previous night.

She also said thunderstorms were possible but highly localized, with some lightning strikes recorded on Vancouver Island and the northern cape in Washington, described as single strikes rather than a widespread event.

By Sunday afternoon, Shull said the winds and the chance of lightning should taper off.

A drier period was expected to give a brief window to clear drains on Sunday and Monday, before a storm arrives Tuesday.

The storm is described as an atmospheric river due to reach B.C.’s coast Tuesday, with rainfall warnings expected. Shull said she is confident Environment Canada will issue rainfall warnings for the Howe Sound area and North Vancouver, where rainfall would need to exceed 50 mm in 24 hours.

Shull said the main moisture is expected from the North Shore, Howe Sound, and northwards.

Areas next most likely to be rainy include the City of Vancouver, Burnaby Mountain, and Coquitlam, though it was unclear whether a warning would be needed there.

The system is expected to be prolonged, lasting from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning.

Shull said areas farther north, including parts of the Sunshine Coast and northern Vancouver Island where the rain hits hardest, could see more than 200 mm between Tuesday morning and Wednesday night, depending on how the atmospheric river lines up, and Vancouver and North Vancouver were not expected to be at the forefront of the storm.