Blast of Arctic air expected to follow snowy Okanagan weekend

Okanagan residents should expect to spend some time behind a snow shovel this weekend.

Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says eight to 10 centimetres of snow has fallen on Vernon and Kelowna so far today with another two cm expected before the day is done. Penticton has seen between two and three cm so far with another two cm expected through the day.

The snow is expected to continue through the weekend with the next significant accumulation coming Sunday.

“The valley could see another five to 10 cm Sunday before an Arctic front moves through,” Lundquist says.

Temperatures could dip to around -19 C in the Okanagan in what Lundquist describes as a “cold event.” He says at this point, it doesn’t appear low temperature records will be broken.

Today, Jan. 10, in the Okanagan the snow should end this afternoon followed by cloudy skies with a 60 per cent chance of flurries.

The North Okanagan, including Vernon, the Shuswap and North Thompson are under a snowfall warning, however, where 10 to 20 cm could fall by this evening.

Winds from the east at 30 km/h could gust to 50 with a high of -3 C in Kelowna and Vernon today, along with a windchill of -5 C this afternoon.

The mercury is expected to dip to -3 C in Vernon and Kelowna tonight.

Penticton should see a high of 0 C today with temperature remaining steady overnight.

Another two cm more snow could fall on Saturday with winds south at 20 km/h gusting to 40 by early afternoon.

Saturday’s high should reach 0 C in Vernon and Kelowna, with a wind chill near – 8 C.

It should reach a high of 2 C in Penticton Saturday with an overnight low to -4 C in all three cities.

Snow on Sunday and periods of snow are forecast for Sunday night.

An Arctic front arriving on Sunday could bring overnight lows down to -19 C.

On Monday, the sun returns as the Arctic chill continues with Monday’s high reaching only -14 C. The overnight low Monday could dip to -24 C in the Okanagan.

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