B.C., Prairies brace for blizzards, strong winds and heavy rainfall

A woman hides her face walking down the street as freezing temperatures hit the city of Calgary, Alta., Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Todd Korol/The Canadian Press)

Weather advisories have been issued in five provinces and one territory, warning Canadians of a range of conditions from extreme cold and blizzards to heavy wind and rain.

From west to east, here’s where weather warnings are in place.

British Columbia

On the West Coast, a Pacific frontal system is expected to bring strong, potentially damaging winds and heavy rain to some areas.

Environment Canada warned of wind gusts of up to 90 km/h on Wednesday along eastern Vancouver Island and parts of the Sunshine Coast. These winds are expected to die down into the afternoon or evening, but at their peak, damage to buildings is possible and “loose objects may be tossed,” the weather agency said.

As of Wednesday afternoon, parts of Metro Vancouver are also under a weather warning due to heavy rainfall. As much as 50 to 70 millimetres of rain could accumulate as a result of this frontal system, Environment Canada said. Those in the area are warned by meteorologists of the possibility of flash flooding and water pooling on roads. The rain is expected to ease on Thursday, with only scattered showers in the forecast.

A total of six parts of the province are under weather warnings as of 1:30 p.m. PT.

Yukon

Further north, a single blizzard warning is in effect for Dempster, Yukon, with conditions expected to develop Wednesday evening. Residents of that area are warned of “near-zero visibility” at times due to blowing snow. Forecasters expect the blizzard conditions will last into Friday.

Prairies

Heading east, weather warnings cover a large swath of Canada’s Prairie provinces. Those in southern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are dealing with extreme cold, with wind chill values near -40.

In many of the areas covered by 610 extreme cold warnings issued for these three provinces (208 in Alberta, 306 in Saskatchewan and 96 in Manitoba), Environment Canada says there may be some relief from the bitter temperatures during the day, but wind chill is expected to dip again at night.

As for when relief can be expected, it depends on the location. In Calgary, for example, it’s expected to be 5 C on Thursday, according to Environment Canada, warming steadily until a high of 11 C on Monday.

But in Regina and Winnipeg, Thursday is expected to be cold again, before a “significant warm-up” heading into the weekend. Check your local forecast on CTVNews.ca’s dedicated weather hub.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Special weather statements issued for the St. John’s and Avalon Peninsula areas of Newfoundland and Labrador advise residents and visitors to the area of a combination of snow and strong winds expected Friday. As much as 20 centimetres may fall that day, which combined with strong wind “will cause reduced visibility…especially over exposed area,” Environment Canada predicts.