Forecast for Monday:

The storm we had been keeping an eye on is going to remain too far south after all. There will be just enough moisture sneaking into Southwest BC for some scattered flurries and sprinkles, but any accumulations will be very light, perhaps a few centimeters or so. 

Snow levels across the Coast Range will range from 750-1050 meters (3.5-4.5k feet), resulting in light rain showers across the lower elevations of ski resorts. Hi

The Interior will stay dry on Monday with high-level clouds expected at times. High temps on Monday afternoon will be a degree or two above freezing at mid-mountain elevations.

Forecast for Tuesday to Wednesday:

A dry pattern will resume with mostly sunny skies and spring skiing conditions. High temps will be around 5ºC at Coast Range ski resort mid-mountain elevations and around 1 to 2ºC at Interior mid-mountain elevations.

Snow conditions will be firm in the morning hours but will soften up on more sun-exposed aspects during the afternoon hours. Get out and enjoy the sunshine!

Forecast for Thursday to Friday:

A storm will drop into the Puget Sound from the Gulf of Alaska on Thursday with enough moisture and energy reaching Southern BC to result in a more widespread snow event. Snowfall may still end up being showery in nature, but most resorts in Southern BC should pick up at least a little bit of snow. 

A cold front will be arriving at the onset of this storm and snow levels are projected to be quite low for this time of year during the bulk of the event. We may see rain mixing in at the base of some ski resorts, but most skiable terrain should remain all-snow.

For now, I'm expecting snow totals to generally range from 5-20 cm (2-8") across both the Coast Range and the Interior of Southern BC, but stay tuned for an updated forecast as we get closer to the event.

Across Northern BC, Shames Mountain, Hudson Bay Mountain, and Powder King look to be right on the edge with snow totals ranging from 0 to 10 cm (0-4").

A cold airmass will settle into place across BC this weekend (March 25th-26th) with high temperatures expected to stay below freezing at mid-mountain elevations across both the Interior and the Coast Range.

Lingering moisture along with daytime instability (stronger March sun heating the surface while temps aloft will be very cold) will likely result in snow showers re-developing on both Saturday and Sunday, though the coverage and extent of this activity is uncertain this far out.

Looking further out, we may see a lull early next week as the storm track shifts further south into the Cascades and Sierra. However, there are hints that the next stormy period for BC could arrive sometime around the middle of next week (~March 28th-30th). 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (March 22).

ALAN SMITH