Parksville and Qualicum Beach residents aren’t likely to see snow on Christmas Day this year.
“It is really, really unlikely,” said Armel Castellan, Environment Canada meteorologist.
Castellan said there is a very rare chance that by next week, temperatures in the region could become cold enough for snow, but that the “short answer” is it won’t be a white Christmas.
“Probably our coldest day will be Friday (Dec. 21) after the storm, after the rains, and even then we will just barely touch zero degrees,” he said.
Throwback to 10 years ago today. Over 70cm of snow was on the ground. This picture taken in #Nanoosebay. pic.twitter.com/CvOEjHbBTB
— Parksville Weather (@ParksvilleWX) December 18, 2018
Castellan said the region’s last two winters were La Nina, meaning temperatures were colder than normal.
“This year we have an El Nino brewing,” Castellan said.
“It’s pretty much here it just doesn’t really impact until about now—kind of mid to late December.
“We’ve already seen it effect November, it was a much warmer than normal month.”
Last year, Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning in effect for east Vancouver Island from Nanoose Bay to Fanny Bay on Dec. 19.
The weather alert states snowfall was expected to continue throughout the day into the night.
Last Christmas the daytime high temperature in Parksville was recorded at 3.2 C.
