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Torrential rain to be followed by near freezing temperatures in Vancouver

Temperatures are going to hover around freezing Tuesday night
cold-moon-vancouver-lowers
As the atmospheric river moves on from Vancouver a cold front is following.

The good news is that the extreme rain is coming to an end.

The less good news is that Tuesday night, Nov. 16, will be a cold one with temperatures dropping to around freezing.

"We're basically switching to a cooler, drier weather pattern," says Environment Canada Meteorologist Bobby Sekhon.

A cold front coming from the northwest (think the Gulf of Alaska) is headed into the region, pushing the atmospheric river away from the Lower Mainland. While it's not arctic air, it will be cooler than usual.

"We're talking about temps two-to-four degrees below average for this time of year, so not extraordinary," Sekhon says.

However, that brings it down close to freezing; Environment Canada's current forecast for Tuesday night is for a low of 1 C in Vancouver; other areas at higher elevations will get cooler. Sekhon says ice is possible.

"That's going to be something we look out for," he says. "Drivers should be on the lookout for black ice."

However, without much moisture in the air, the chance of frost is low, though localized frost where there are bodies of water (or large puddles).

Areas further inland may get colder; Chilliwack, where evacuation alerts have been issued for some due to high water temperatures may drop to -1 C. Merritt, which is under an evacuation order due to the Coldwater River overflowing its banks, is expected to hit -5 C.

The cold isn't supposed to stick around in Vancouver, though, Sekhon says.

"After Tuesday, Wednesday temperatures should rebound a bit," he notes. "Not as cold, it'll feel more like November weather."