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30% chance of a snowy white holiday in Penticton, meteorologist says

When looking at a long term winter forecast, experts say there’s not much to predict just yet
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Downtown Penticton seen from atop a mountain outside town. (Phil McLachlan - Western News)

Canadian meteorologists don’t observe the start of winter until Dec. 1, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to look ahead to Christmas.

According to Environment Canada, the chances of a white Christmas by either Okanagan Lake or Skaha Lake in Penticton sit at 30 per cent. But when looking at the longer-term forecast for the entire season, there’s not much to predict just yet.

“If we have a warmer winter, the ratio of rain and snow is favoured in the form of rain,” said Kelowna-based meteorologist Doug Lundquist. “That’s the only thing you can say. There’s not much that can be said about the amount of snow we’ll get throughout the winter.”

He also adds that when predicting snowfall, it’s best to project on a week-to-week basis.

“You can’t say anything about precipitation beyond about a week or 10 days.”

Environment Canada is calling for chances of snowfall extending into Wednesday.

The 30 per cent chance of a white Christmas in Penticton is dependent on what neighbourhood of the city is being examined. In higher levels around the area, the chances of seeing snow on Dec. 25 can be raised to about 70 per cent.

Environment Canada has told the Penticton Western News that a seasonal outlook will be easier to project on Dec. 1.


@lgllockhart
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com

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