A week after Groundhog Day winter descended on the Sunshine Coast.
Environment Canada issued a weather statement for the lower Sunshine Coast Monday, Feb. 8 that lasted to at least Wednesday, Coast Reporter’s print deadline, as Arctic air over B.C.’s northern interior dropped south to coastal regions, bringing with it plunging temperatures.
Meteorologists are also keeping their eyes on the end of the weekend or start of next week, when a more significant weather system may push out the Arctic air.
“That can lead to larger snowfall amounts, or strong winds or a really sloppy transition from snow to rain,” Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Erven told Coast Reporter.
While forecasts showed temperatures climbing back up to five degrees by Feb. 16, snow was predicted starting Saturday and lasting through to Family Day on Feb. 15.
Models initially showed the freeze would only last a few days, said Erven, but those predictions changed early in the week. “It can be a very stubborn feature to get rid of,” she said.
The Arctic temperatures that first arrived Monday kept dropping into Wednesday, as the air continued moving south, with coastal regions expected to be between five and 10 degrees below seasonal temperatures, according to the Environment Canada weather statement.
The Coast saw daytime flurries on Wednesday and temperatures were forecast to continue falling to as low as -7 C by Thursday night – low enough to potentially break records, according to Erven.
Shelters
For those without a home, a cold-weather shelter is available in Gibsons, while daytime space is still being sought out.
The recently-opened emergency shelter has not yet turned anyone away, despite the fact that at five beds the shelter has a lower capacity than previous years due to COVID-19, said Silas White, who is helping with oversight.
White said if demand increases the Salvation Army, which is hosting the shelter at 682 Gibsons Way, can offer more emergency space in the building, but daytime warming space is still needed.
“We are well equipped with winter gear to keep residents warm during the day but this shelter does close at 7 a.m., so having a warm place in Gibsons for just a few people to hang out during the day during the cold snap would be a tremendous service,” said White.
He is asking the Town of Gibsons to assist in finding options, such as churches or other spaces, as has happened in previous years. “The library has always been accommodating and I’m sure will also do their best to accommodate these circumstances,” he said.
RainCity Housing, which oversees operations at the Sechelt shelter, did not respond to Coast Reporter in time for deadline.
