Image: Stormy weather off Denman Island. / File / Illuminaphoto

By Canadian Press

Environment

Warnings lifted for B.C. coast while Coquihalla warning remains

Dec 26, 2024 | 5:54 PM

VANCOUVER — Environment Canada has lifted all heavy rainfall and strong wind warnings for B.C. on Boxing Day after residents went through a wet and windy Christmas.

The warnings came after a low-pressure system had brought wind gusts that were travelling up to 140 kilometres per hour in some coastal areas.

The strongest wind gust over the province had been recorded on the Sartine Island with wind gusts measuring up to 162 km/h on Wednesday afternoon.

The stormy weather had also led to widespread ferry cancellations and power outage with more than 5,000 people sitting in the dark in the province at one point on Christmas Day.

The snowfall warning is still in effect for Coquihalla Highway, between Hope and Merritt, and Highway 3 — Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass.

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The weather agency says a Pacific frontal system is bringing a total of 15 centimetres of snow to the Coquihalla Highway while Highway 3 is expected to receive a total of snowfall of 20 to 30 centimetres.

It says snowfall will intensify near noon and then ease on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, avalanche experts are warning ski and snowboard enthusiasts that the current avalanche conditions along the North Shore mountains are level five out of five in their hazard ratings, meaning “extraordinarily dangerous.”

Emily Jones, an avalanche forecaster for Avalanche Canada, said in an interview on Thursday that the extreme rating at the moment is due to “rapid loading” with lots of snowfall and wind that had been happening in the past 24 hours.

She said the avalanche conditions will be “settled and stabilized” on Friday with the hazard rating dropping to a level three out of five due to “a little break between storms.”

But Jones said people who plan to go backcountry still need to have heightened risk awareness and use cautious routes as they go.

The good news is the avalanche danger will not stay and be extreme for a long period as we head into January, said Jones.

BC Hydro said around 1,800 customers were without power in the province as of the afternoon on Boxing Day.

BC Ferries issued a fresh round of travel advisories on Thursday at noon, and some sailings between Metro Vancouver and the Vancouver Islands have been resumed.

The ferry firm said sailings between Tsawwassen in Vancouver and Swartz Bay in Victoria, Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver and Departure Bay in Nanaimo are available throughout the rest of Boxing Day.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 26, 2024.