VancouverMETRO VANCOUVER NEWS
Metro Vancouver could see its coldest night of fall so far on Halloween weekend
Environment Canada meteorologist Steve Boily says a slow-moving upper low will bring unsettled conditions before clearing the region. Saturday night could dip to 2 C, colder than the 2.2 C low recorded on Oct. 12.
Metro Vancouver’s forecast has shifted, with several dry days ahead but damper nights before Halloween. Environment Canada meteorologist Steve Boily says an organized storm that had been forecast did not move into the region this week. Instead, an upper low brought bands of moisture on Tuesday and will continue to affect the area for a few days.
Boily says upper lows with cold air aloft are very unstable and are not atmospheric rivers. The system is slowly drifting south; instability can bring showers and heavy rain, while rotating lows spread bands of precipitation that are difficult to time in advance. The instability creates ideal conditions for thunderstorms, although the region has not seen lightning so far. The Lower Mainland’s most productive thunderstorm of the summer to date produced between 1,700 and 1,800 lightning strikes within 50 kilometres of Vancouver.
There were no significant showers during the daytime, but some wet weather arrived overnight Tuesday, and more could come overnight Wednesday, Boily says. The upper low is slowly moving south over Vancouver Island and the southwest. Where a shower passes, rainfall could range from none to five millimetres, or reach 15 to 20 mm, depending on how the showers line up.
The thunderstorm risk appears to have passed, but more showers are possible. Boily says showers could remain significant until Thursday morning, while Thursday afternoon and evening look very minimal, with perhaps only a few drops. Friday may bring a chance of showers, with lingering bits possible on Saturday. He bets there will not really be precipitation on Saturday, but says he cannot be certain of that forecast. The upper low is moving away and is on track to leave the area by then.
Saturday night could be the coldest night of fall 2026 so far, with a low of 2 C. The region recorded a low of 2.2 C on Oct. 12. Sunday is expected to be the week’s nicest day, with clear skies and bright sunshine. It will also be a cooler night, with winds coming from the interior.