Environment Canada: Aieee, run for your life!

A significant and powerful Pacific low will track northwards just west of Vancouver Island during the day on Wednesday. Associated with the system will be very strong south to southeast winds. Southeast winds will strengthen overnight and peak just before noon Wednesday with south to southeast gusts in the range of 120 to 140 km/h on the west coast of Vancouver Island and all areas surrounding Northern Vancouver island. Further south and away from the low, Greater Victoria and metro Vancouver will experience southeast to southerly wind gusts up to 100 km/h.

The wind direction will rapidly shift to southwest in the afternoon as the low moves northwards into Hecate strait. Peak southwesterly wind gusts to 120 km/h will continue over areas surrounding Northern Vancouver island including the central coast. Further south a wind shift to southwesterly 60 to 80 km/h will occur as the associated front crosses Greater Victoria and metro Vancouver.

Winds will start to diminish late Wednesday afternoon over southern areas such as Greater Victoria and metro Vancouver while over the central coast and Northern Vancouver island winds will not diminish until Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, strong outflow winds in combination with cold temperatures will continue to give wind chill values near minus 20 tonight over the north coast and inland regions of the central coast.

“Significant and powerful Pacific low,” eh? Low pressure my as–wait, what?

Oh. 970? That’s… pretty damn low, actually. Maybe we should take this seriously. Watch the METAR to see how low the altimeter gets!