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No Records broken, but remain alert Env. Canada says

North Coast to feel effects of storm parade
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No wind or rain records were broken on Nov. 24, when high wind gusts caused uprooted trees, downed utility lines and lifted off roofs in Prince Rupert. (Photo: K-J Millar/The Northern View)

No wind records were broken with the wild and blustery gusts that caused downed power lines, knocked over utility poles, uprooted trees, ripped off roofs, and even a container ship to break its moorage in Prince Rupert on Nov. 24.

Geoff Coulson, warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, told The Northern View on Nov. 25, the highest wind gust for the day prior in the city was recorded at 1:10 p.m at the Prince Rupert Airport. Winds blew from 61 km to 93 km/h. Stronger winds were recorded at Holland Rock in the channel at around 4 p.m. when winds reached 100 km/h.

Coulson said no rain records were broken either with a 48 mm recording at the airport. He said the wettest Nov. 24 on record was back in 1966 when 68 mm of rain fell.

Coulson said the weather has not abated yet, with Prince Rupert expecting another robust weather system on Nov. 27 and lasting throughout the week.

“Right now, we don’t have a good handle on what the winds could be. But, there is a potential again for some stronger wind gusts as it approaches on Saturday (Nov. 27),” he said. “… So it really does look like quite a stretch of weather for the Prince Rupert area.

The meteorologist said the precipitation would remain as rain in the area with seasonal temperatures of around 6 C during the day and overnight a little milder than usual for this time of year, with temperatures above freezing at 2 C.

Further east toward Terrace, weather transitions will occur with temperatures at the freezing level. He said that snowfall is expected over the weekend along the Skeena, between Prince Rupert and Terrace, making dangerous driving conditions. Snowfall numbers may be high toward Terrace as another weather system will be arriving next week.

“Most definitely, we’re going to be looking at changeable conditions along that route through the weekend and into next week. So it certainly would be good to give folks a heads up,” he said.

“There certainly will be transition zones as they head up into the higher elevations where [drivers] are going to see that changeover. Suddenly those wet roads are going to become icy roads to higher elevation.”

“I think the best advice is for folks to pay close attention to the latest forecasts and potential statements coming from Environment Canada, certainly for the weekend, as things start to shape up and we get a better sense of potential rainfall amounts in Prince Rupert or potential snowfall amounts in Terrace. We may see some statements being issued on Friday to give folks a better idea of what they should be doing.”


K-J Millar | Journalist
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