A winter storm is expected to wallop much of B.C. Wednesday, except on the South Coast, where mild temperatures are forecast to continue through the week.
Environment Canada has posted winter storm warnings for central and northern B.C., while snowfall warnings are in effect for southeastern B.C., including the Boundary and Kootenay regions.
A winter storm in central B.C., including the Cariboo, East Columbia, Kinbasket, and Prince George regions, is expected to dump between 30 and 50 centimetres of snow by Thursday.
The North Columbia, North Thompson, Yellowhead, and the Shuswap regions are all under the same snow storm warning, with up to 50 centimetres of snow expected. The snow is forecast to ease by Thursday night as the system moves southward and weakens.
The Weather Network says there will be a significant impact on travel across Highway 97 from Prince George to Williams Lake where up to 45 centimetres of snow is possible.
Environment Canada warns that road closures are possible.
The network says southeastern regions will see periods of light snow developing through Wednesday with moderate to heavier snow developing Wednesday night and tapering off by Friday morning. The Okanagan Valley will likely see a few centimetres of snow Thursday night.
Most mountain passes will also see significant snow.
Meantime, in Metro Vancouver, temperatures are expected to remain mild over the next week.
On Wednesday, the expected highs are nine degrees C, with light drizzle. A similar weather pattern is expected to last through Tuesday, though Environment Canada predicts the temperature will dip slightly on the weekend to around five degrees C.
