First hint of snow forecast

The Okanagan can expect its next hint that winter is right around the corner.

Photo: Castanet Staff - File Photo

It shouldn't be enough to shovel but we can expect our first snow of the season this week.

As we warm up from our first blast of Arctic air, expect some snow to fall later this week.

Environment Canada meteorologist, Greg Pearce, says we will likely see some flurries beginning sometime Wednesday.

"We have had this cold spell here for the past four or five days but we'll see a gradual warm-up as we get into the middle of the week...highs will get close to zero for both Wednesday and Thursday," says Pearce.

"With that warm-up, there will be a period there where it looks like we will get a little bit of light snow but right now it doesn't look like it will be too significant."

Pearce says a stronger storm could come in at the end of the week accompanied by more of the white stuff.

"That could come in Friday night, possibly Saturday morning that might give us a centimetre or two of wet, slushy snow.

By Saturday afternoon we should be getting up well above freezing...so any snow we get Friday night/Saturday morning would quickly melt off."

By early next week, Pearce expects we will see milder temperatures in the five to six degree range.

He adds the snow fall this week, while not significant, should be the impetus people need to equip their vehicles with snow tires if they haven't already done so.