Comox Valley can expect more winter this winter
Grab some extra boots, get the toques ready, and pile on the winter clothes — winter is coming to the Comox Valley.
Or, that's what is predicted.
AccuWeather.com, an American weather organization which provides forecasts for locations around the world, announced Monday this winter could be one of the top three coldest winters in the past 20 years for the Vancouver Island.
"La Niña could play a big role this year. It's a little out of the ordinary for B.C.," said Brett Anderson, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.com.
"The strength of the system is critical," he added.
La Niña is a phenomenon that occurs when sea surface temperatures across the equatorial central and eastern Pacific are below normal.
The weather pattern often produces extreme cold outbreaks across Western Canada during the winter due to the influence it has on the jet stream.
Anderson noted because of the forecasted colder temperatures, the Valley could see a lot less moisture because dryer, colder air does not generally hold as much moisture as warmer air.
Despite other predictions of a cold, snowy winter, he said it generally has to be one other the other.
"There might be several lighter snowfalls, but the coastal areas, particularly Victoria and Vancouver, might see more snow," he added.
While Anderson admitted having back-to-back winters with a La Niña is unusual, it is not unheard of.
The one upside to the forecast chilly winter is that the system is not predicted to go strong, Anderson added.
For more information on winter weather predictions, visit www.AccuWeather.com
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