After a gloomy March, our weather getting better, but it’s still struggling to dry out and warm up. Less than week away from the end of the month and so far April has been, on average, cooler than normal in Victoria.
This week the jet stream is taking a zonal flow, meaning the strong winds aloft are moving in a mostly west-to-east direction, rather than meandering north-to-south while tracking eastward. This allows for low pressure systems to make their way to the west coast. The jet is positioned south of Vancouver Island which means the bulk of the precipitation associated with the systems approaching this week will drop the heaviest rain on Washington State.
The southerly nature of the jet also means cooler unstable conditions will be present over most of B.C. this week. Isolated thunderstorms capable of producing small hail are possible through southern B.C. over the next few days, although they’re unlikely to develop over Vancouver Island. So, needless to say, our weather pattern is pretty active and unsettled - not sunny, dry and warm like many would rather see.
Lull today, rain tomorrow
Conditions are pleasant Monday afternoon all over the island, as clouds clear. Tonight skies are partly cloudy in the Capital Region as high pressure briefly builds.
Tuesday morning starts out with a mix of sun and clouds in Victoria, but then a change. Starting at the north end of the island, rain begins after lunchtime thanks to an approaching low pressure system. The front sweeps southeastward spreading showers or periods of rain to the Greater Victoria area by late afternoon. Showers linger Tuesday night, finally clearing mid-afternoon Wednesday. In the wake of the precipitation, accompanying the sunshine, winds increase.
Thursday looks fairly dry for YYJ, but there’s still a slight chance of showers. While unsettled conditions persist, temperatures remain around or slightly below seasonal average.
Mainly sunny to usher in May
Friday and Saturday are mainly sunny as high pressure takes hold over the south coast of B.C. again. Any showers we see this weekend in Victoria appear to be confined to overnight or early morning hours. There’s a slight chance of showers in the afternoon and evening of Monday May 1st, but after that, dry and mild conditions will stick around for a few days.
