Snow begins to fall

Photo: Facebook - Big White Ski Resort

As temperatures continue to drop throughout the Okanagan, snow has begun to make an appearance at higher elevations.

Highway 97C was dusted with snow at the Pennask Summit overnight. The summit sits at 1,717 metres elevation.

In addition, Big White Ski Resort is beginning to look like a winter wonderland, with a few centimetres of snow in the village. The village sits at 1,755 metres.

Temperatures are expected to become milder, but will dip again come Nov. 1, according to Matt MacDonald, meteorologist with Environment Canada.

“As we get into the beginning of November, there’s a pretty dramatic shift in the weather pattern appearance and I’d say the confidence is quite good with that,” said MacDonald. “It looks pretty cool and relatively wet, so I think there’s a good chance that we see some snow to start off the month of November, in the alpine, above about 1,200 metres.”

MacDonald said while a lot has been made about El Nino this winter, any warming effects from it will not be felt until January.

“You say El Nino, and right away people start picturing palm trees,” MacDonald said. “El Nino only becomes evident come mid-January … so I think there’s a fair chance that we’ll see some good snow November and December before El Nino shows its face.”