Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?
While Metro Vancouverites saw some wet snowfall across the region Monday, the chances of a snowy Christmas morning are slim.
Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan tells Vancouver Is Awesome in a phone interview that Vancouver will likely see dry weather for the rest of the week.
Monday's snowy weather event is somewhat of an anomaly, and it isn't caused by arctic air. Instead, Castellan says it's a combination of heavy precipitation and a deepening Pacific low that made its way across Washington State.
"The precipitation rates are extremely high," explains Castellan. "In those intense rain moments, you can lower the freezing level--or the snow level--and create chunky rain or melting snow.
"And then you have the option of accumulating."
Bright and sunny streak to come
Following Monday, Tuesday through Thursday is expected to be bright and sunny, which means any snowfall that accumulated Monday would have to last through the sunny streak to make it to Friday morning.
And there's very little chance that will happen.
If it does manage to happen, it won't be at places on or around sea level, explains Castellan. Instead, places with some elevation are more likely to see the white stuff stick.
"Will it survive all the way to Friday? Maybe--but even then, it's going to be eight or nine degrees on Christmas, with a pretty good chance of seeing some showers. So if you can get two centimetres left on the ground to 'qualify' as a white Christmas--it might get melted away," he notes.
"The only real white Christmas realities are at elevation...but is that going to last three days until Christmas?
"Probably not."
So, if you are somewhere with an accumulation of snowfall, build your snow people and snow creatures now--you might not have another chance until 2021.
