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Environment Canada gives long-term spring forecast for Vancouver

Spring has sprung, but mother nature has produced some frosty weather.
tulips-frosted
Photo: Tulips covered in morning frost / Shutterstock

A number of Metro Vancouverites woke up to a fresh dusting of snowfall on April 1 after parts of the Lower Mainland saw hail and thunder Monday night. Following this, it is snowing in parts of the region again on April 2.

Matt MacDonald, a Meteorologist with Environment Canada, told Vancouver Is Awesome in a phone call that the chilly weather isn't likely to end anytime soon. However, he notes that the unstable air system makes the forecast harder to predict. 

"A slow moving low pressure system will be the weather maker for today through Friday," he explains. "A big upper trough is parked over B.C., and a north westerly flow has cold air overlying warm air creating unstable mass."

As a result of the unpredictable weather pattern, MacDonald notes that he isn't able to know exactly what will happen. Snow is a definite possibility, and it could even stick. With this in mind, it wouldn't stay on the ground for very long. 

"We are not a hail-prone area - ususally places that have tornadoes are - and we had an intense hail event this week," he highlights. "These events give rise to very dynamic clouds."

Avalanche Canada notes that, "On Friday, the low will remain active in the southern half of BC. Flurries will be widespread over most mountain ranges stretching from the south coast to the southern interior and localized heavier snow amounts are possible (greater than 5cm)."

MacDonald expects that the cool, unpredictable weather will carry on through the weekend, but that Monday and Tuesday will see a reprieve from the cool air and flurries with some sunshine. Following the sunny streak, he predicts that temperatures will drop two to three degrees below seasonal averages. What's more, he thinks the month will be a few degrees cooler overall. 

"April will be colder than normal, with a pretty high confidence," he remarks. "There won't likely be any nice 20 degree highs, and the unsettled conditions will persist."

Okay Mother Nature, your April fools day joke was funny yesterday but you can stop the ❄️ anytime now. #BCstorm #SayItAintSnow pic.twitter.com/rtTppwoeNc

MacDonald adds that long-term forecast for May and June shows more average temperatures.