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Cold, dry weather expected after snowstorm

After a snowstorm on Tuesday, Castlegar is expected to see colder, drier weather.
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After a snowstorm on Tuesday, Castlegar is expected to see colder, drier weather by the end of the week.

As of 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday, a winter storm had resulted in 17 centimetres of accumulated snow or 19.2 millimetres of water equivalent.

“We have a nice Pacific storm coming through and we’re getting lots of snow,” Jesse Ellis, weather forecaster for the Southeast Fire Centre, said Tuesday afternoon.

The snow continued overnight but tapered off early Wednesday morning.

As of press time, “a drier, northerly, becoming northwesterly, flow” was expected to gain control Wednesday afternoon and partial clearing was expected late in the day.

A dry and stable air mass was expected to remain in control over Wednesday night.

“And then on Thursday, we’re still in that northwesterly flow. There’s a little bit of moisture in the flow and it’s basically the leading edge of a modified Arctic air mass,” said Ellis.

That is excepted to lead to increasing or thickening cloud late Thursday and an increasing chance of flurries.

“So minor snow becomes possible again Thursday afternoon,” said Ellis.

Flurries are also expected on Thursday night with a projected accumulation of fewer than five centimetres.

From Thursday night into Friday, increasing northerly winds are expected.

“Basically associated with the leading edge of a really cold and dry air mass originating over Northern B.C. and the Yukon,” said Ellis.

That air mass is expected to stick around for at least three days, leading to daytime highs of minus five or lower, and overnight lows of minus 10 or lower.

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A heavy snow all day Tuesday wreaked havoc on area roads but delighted local children and skiers. (Betsy Kline/Castlegar News)
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A heavy snow all day Tuesday wreaked havoc on area roads but delighted local children and skiers. (Betsy Kline/Castlegar News)
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