VANCOUVER — Part of southern British Columbia is facing a two-day weather system that's expected to bring heavy rain and snowmelt due to rising freezing levels, resulting in potentially messy driving conditions and localized flooding.
Environment Canada says the latest advisory is for the West Kootenay region including Nelson, Castlegar and Trail, where wet snow and rain is expected to last into Monday as the freezing level, or height at which snow melts, rises to 2,000 metres.
The combination of rain and melted snow is expected to create slippery road surfaces, especially for parts of Highway 3 from Grand Forks to Creston where mountainous stretches could see up to 20 centimetres of snow before rain and snowmelt hamper travel in the region.
Meanwhile, parts of Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island also remain under a rainfall warning, with Environment Canada increasing the amount of expected precipitation to nearly 120 millimetres in the north shore and Coquitlam near the mountains.
Remaining parts of Metro Vancouver under the rainfall warning include Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster, while Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley and Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast are expected to see up to 100 millimetres.
Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island remains the location with the highest projected rainfall at almost 130 millimetres, while Tofino is expected to see up to 90 millimetres of rain into Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2025.
The Canadian Press
