So long, snow: Spring-like temperatures ahead for Kamloops, Okanagan this weekend

Temperatures are on the rise in Kamloops and the Okanagan just in time for the weekend.

Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says the mix of snow and rain showers, along with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark that we’ve been seeing for the past few days should continue through Friday before temperatures bump up a few degrees on Saturday.

Rain is expected in Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton Saturday through Sunday, with highs of 4 Celsius for all four cities on Saturday.

A high of 8 C is expected on Sunday in Kamloops along with highs of 7 C for Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton.

Lundquist says Saturday and Sunday’s temperatures won’t likely break any records, but they will be 8 C warmer than Kamloops' normal high of 0 C, and 9 C warmer than the Okanagan’s normal high for this time of year of -2 C.

The record for Sunday, Dec. 20 is between 10 and 15 C for Kamloops and 9 C for Kelowna.

Next week should see highs just above freezing, with a mix of sun and cloud on Monday for Kamloops, and a 60 per cent chance of flurries along with a high of 2 C for the Okanagan.

That’s making it look less and less certain we will see anything white in the sky or on the ground by or on Christmas Day, although Lundquist says not to rule it out completely – yet.

He says there is at this point, “an outside possibility” of conditions cooling off later next week, along with a low pressure system poised to cross the region on Christmas Day that could bring some snow.

“The precipitation could come down white, but it won’t likely stick,” Lundquist says.

The meteorologist is predicting a less than 25 per cent chance of snow on Christmas for Penticton, a little higher than 50 per cent for Vernon, and a little lower than 50 per cent for Kamloops and Kelowna.

“The Lower Mainland is almost certain to be green, and the Kootenays most likely will be white,” he says of the rest of the southern half of the province.

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