Two North Shore ski mountains, Buntzen Lake closed because of rain
Credit to Author: Tiffany Crawford| Date: Fri, 31 Jan 2020 21:13:28 +0000
A couple of North Shore ski hills and Buntzen Lake in Anmore were closed Friday because of heavy rainfall, as Metro Vancouver prepared for another deluge Friday night.
A message on the Grouse Mountain website says the downhill area is closed on Friday, although the chalet and the Skyride are operating. Ski lessons have also been postponed.
Mount Seymour also says that because of the weather the ski hill will be closed Friday. It plans to reopen on Saturday.
There is a chance of snow flurries in the forecast for Sunday, as the temperature is expected to drop down to near or below zero, so skiers will want to check the websites to see if the hills have reopened.
Meantime, a message posted on the Village of Anmore’s Twitter account says Buntzen Lake is closed due to heavy rainfall and the potential hazard of trail and road washouts.
BUNTZEN LAKE CLOSED FRIDAY, JAN 31. Please note that Public Safety has advised to keep Buntzen Lake area closed to public access due to the forecast of an extreme rain event & the potential hazard of trail & road washouts. @buntzen @buntzenlake @villageofanmore @bchydro pic.twitter.com/QyIIFXlu5W
A rainfall warning was in effect Friday for Metro Vancouver, with up to 120 millimetres expected by Saturday in some parts of the region.
Environment and Climate Change Canada says subtropical moisture will bring heavy rain to the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler, Gibsons and Metro Vancouver through Saturday.
A long stream of subtropical moisture is bringing heavy precipitation and warm air to B.C.
Multiple warnings are in effect: https://t.co/RMiZvBWnCd
🌧️🌨️💨#BCStorm pic.twitter.com/YqlIvwbCuU
Total rainfall amounts for these events will be near 60 to 120 millimetres for the Fraser Valley, 130 millimetres for Howe Sound, 60 millimetres for Whistler, 90 millimetres for Gibsons and 100 to 120 millimetres for parts of Metro Vancouver.
The agency warns that heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible. Watch for possible washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts.
Matt MacDonald, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada said the robust atmospheric river weather system moving across the South Coast is significant.
“This intensity we are seeing is quite exceptional,” he said.
MacDonald said the west side of Vancouver Island will bear the brunt of the deluge, with 200 millimetres of rain expected Friday night. He added that’s a conservative estimate and it could be more like 300 to 400 millimetres.
As for the North Shore mountains, MacDonald said they have a healthy snowpack which will likely soak up the rain, and they could even see snow accumulations on Sunday of two or three centimetres.
MacDonald said he wouldn’t be surprised if some areas were put on a flood watch.
Meanwhile Friday, B.C. Hydro expressed concern that the heavy rain at the Alouette River Watershed in Maple Ridge could cause the reservoir to flood.
It said the next storm system is forecast to bring an additional 100 to 250 millimeters of rain, which could raise the Alouette reservoir to its maximum capacity.
“As a result, additional water may be released from the dam spillway into the river. This, along with the significant natural and unregulated inflows downstream of the dam, may cause the Alouette River to further rise and contribute to localized flooding,” B.C. Hydro said in a news release.
The agency says it has been releasing the maximum amount of water from the reservoir into the Alouette River and through a tunnel to the Stave reservoir to absorb additional heavy rainfall.
January has been a particularly rainy month for Metro Vancouver, but not likely to be the wettest on record. As of Friday, there had been 222 mm of rain at YVR. That is high compared with the average rainfall for the month of 168 mm. The record for January was set in 1935 at 336 mm, according to MacDonald.
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