Winter Weather could provide for holiday challenges with Boxing Day Blast on the way

The first notes on what may be a Boxing Day Special from Environment Canada came on Christmas Eve. With the National weather service providing an update on a weather system currently forming off the Pacific Coast, one that appears destined to make for some significant snowfall in areas of the Inland North Coast and Bulkley Valley.

The Weather Watch of Christmas Eve was upgraded to a Weather Warning by the time Christmas Day had arrived with the most recent forecast is calling for up to 30 cm of snow to fall in that region through late Christmas Day and into Boxing Day.  Brisk winds and cold temperatures will also deliver wind chills of minus 18 C both tonight and tomorrow.

All of which could provide for conditions that travellers through the region should take note of and explore further before taking to the roads if bound for points east.

For the North Coast and Haida Gwaii, it appears that the weather system will be for the most part a rain and wind based event, with Haida Gwaii to feel the effects first, as the Pacific front works its way towards the BC Northern Coast.

Some snow could fall in the morning with possible accumulations of 2 to 4 cm, but Rain and Wind appear to be the main focus of the system for the coastal region and Haida Gwaii with Rainfall amounts anticipated to be towards 25mm on Saturday and more for Sunday.

Winds will be from the Southeast at 50 km/h increasing to 80 km/h after midnight, diminishing into Saturday evening.

The Full Forecast for the North Coast can be found here

Updates on the Weather Warning for areas inland can be found here.

Road Conditions can be found from the Drive BC website and twitter feed.
As well you can check the various highway cameras along the way inland here.

While BC Ferries updates can be found here

The status of flights out of Northwest airports can be found as follows:

Prince Rupert
Terrace

Should there be any updates made to the forecast  you can find them posted to our North Coast Alerts feature on the right hand column of the blog at the top.