‘Very dry start to December’: No snow in forecast for Okanagan, Kamloops

It looks like the snow is going to hold off in Kamloops and the Okanagan this weekend and right into the first two weeks of December.

After a few snow flurries or rain showers in valley bottoms tomorrow, Nov. 27, a system of high pressure will arrive, extending across western Canada, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan.

“It’s an interesting time of year," Castellan said. "It's going to be a very dry start to December… We’re going to see an incredibly dry stretch with a very strong ridge of high pressure that could be around for two weeks,” he says.

Castellan said the ridge of high pressure could mean different things for the Okanagan valley, and to a lesser extent Kamloops.

READ MORE: The under-appreciated weather phenomenon that makes for mild winters in Kamloops, Okanagan

“The high pressure can trap moisture at the surface, causing inversions for days and days. It’s hard to tell if that will happen at this point,” he says.

If it does, you may have to head for higher elevations to get some sunshine.

Temperatures are expected to be well above normal in the Okanagan and Kamloops tomorrow. The forecast is calling for a high of around 6 Celsius in the Okanagan, and a high of 9 C in Kamloops. The mercury usually only climbs to about 2 C this time of year.

Other than the possibility of a few flurries tomorrow night, Kamloops and the Okanagan should see a mix of sun and cloud through the weekend and into next week.

Castellan says the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt could receive between two and four centimetres of snow today, five to 10 cm overnight and another five cm tomorrow. The stretch of Highway 5 from Kamloops to Merritt, along with the Okanagan Connector from Kelowna to Merritt, could see up to 4 cm of snow tonight and tomorrow.

“After that, the mountain passes should be clear of precipitation,” Castellan said. “Usually, once a winter we can expect a period of dry conditions. Last year, November was unusually dry."

The strong high pressure ridge is expected to dominate western Canadian weather patterns into the second week of December with Calgary expecting double digit high temperatures.

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