Good Wednesday to you, Squamish!
Merry Christmas, to those who partake in the holiday.
Here's a festive joke for you, kid-approved, from National Geographic Kids:
What type of photos do elves take?
Elf-ies!
You are welcome.
Now on to the weather, and it is a doozy forecast!
An Environment Canada rainfall warning is in effect for midday today to Boxing Day.
"During the afternoon today, the weather system will bring heavy rain to Metro Vancouver and Squamish," the alert reads.
"Over higher terrain above 300 metres elevation, a brief period of wet snow may give slippery conditions. Rain will continue through Boxing Day as another low pressure system moves close to the South Coast. Rain will ease to a few possible showers in the afternoon of Boxing Day. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible."
Temperatures will reach a high of 5 C and a low of 3 C overnight.
Due to the weather, many BC Ferries sailings have been cancelled for today.
Earthquake Dec. 23
We won't ask you if you felt it, because you shouldn't have, but there was an earthquake near Squamish on Monday.
A magnitude 1.8 quake occurred 34 kilometres west-northwest of Squamish at 5:28 p.m. on Dec. 23.
"The quake had a very shallow depth of 3 km (1.9 mi) and was too small to be felt by people," reads the VolcanoDiscovery site.
Avalanche Forecast
According to avalog.co, for Dec. 25, the alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is considerable, and the below treeline rating is moderate.
Known problems include storm slabs.
What does "considerable" risk mean?
"Considerable is the third of five levels on the avalanche danger scale. Under considerable danger, natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered ones are likely. Avalanche conditions are considered dangerous and careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision making is essential," reads the Avalanche Canada definition.
The advice for today from avalog.co is:
- As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.
- Be alert to conditions that change with elevation, aspect, and exposure to wind.
- Be aware of the potential for large avalanches due to a buried crust.
B.C. extremes
Yesterday's hot spot in all of B.C. was Point Atkinson, again, which hit 13.7 C, according to Environment Canada data.
(The high in Squamish yesterday was 9.5 C.)
The coldest spot in B.C. on Dec. 24 was Fort Nelson, which was a chilly -19 C. (!!)
Today's hot spot is slated to be Tofino, which could reach 9.2 C.
It is also slated to be the hot spot in all of Canada!
The coldest spot in the province is slated to be Fort Nelson (again), which could see a low of -15.4 C.
Sunrise & sunset
Sunrise on Dec. 25 is at 8:09 a.m. Sunset today will be at 4:17 p.m. (Nice to be getting a little more daylight now!)
Moon phase
The moon is in its waning crescent phase.
The moon's illumination is currently 25.47%.
It is currently located in the constellation of Pisces, according to phasesmoon.com.
Moonrise is at 2:58 a.m.; moonset is at 12:44 p.m.
Tides
The next high tide today is at 12:39 p.m. (height: 4.34 metres), according to tide-forecast.com.
The next low tide will be at 8:17 p.m. (1.63 m).
Seawater temp
According to seatemperature.info, water temperature in Howe Sound today is 8 C.
Based on historical data over a period of 10 years, the warmest water on this day in Howe Sound was recorded in 2021 and was 7.6 C, and the coldest was recorded in 2013 at 6.1 C.
Seawater temperature in Howe Sound is expected to drop to 6.3 C in the next 10 days.
December's average water temperature in Howe Sound is 7.2 C, the minimum temperature is 5.1 C, and the maximum is 8.9 C.
Events to note
There's always something going on in this town.
Today, it is the 2nd Annual FREE Holiday Cereal Breakfast event at Trickster's Hideout, located at 38005 Cleveland Ave., from 9 to 5 p.m.
"We’re excited to bring the community together for a day of fun, relaxation, and holiday spirit. Enjoy a free cereal breakfast and holiday-themed movies playing all day long. Whether you’re with family, friends, or on your own, this event is open to everyone—come celebrate the season in a cosy, welcoming space," reads the listing.
Dec. 28, there's a Board Game Meetup at Arrow Wood Games, located at 38157 2 Ave., from 7 to 10:30 p.m.
"Join Arrow Wood Games for an evening of fun, games and social connections. The event host will carefully select the perfect games for the group while fostering a fun and positive environment. No prior game knowledge or experience is necessary," reads the listing.
There are many more events coming up; go to our online events calendar to see them all! Want a possible shout-out in our daily report? Load your event into our free calendar by clicking "Create an event."
Curb-side tote collection change
The District of Squamish notes that local residents who receive regular collection days today, Christmas Day (recycling and organics) and New Year's Day, Jan. 1 (garbage) will receive rescheduled pickup on Saturday, Dec. 28 (recycling and organics) and Saturday, Jan. 4 (garbage).
Change is bus service
The District of Squamish reminds residents that the bus schedule will change over the holiday season.
BC Transit will be running the following modified hours over the holiday period:
→ Dec. 25 & 26: Sunday Service.
→ Dec.31: There will be extended weekday service on New Year’s Eve. The buses will be free after 8 p.m.
→ Jan. 1: Sunday Service.
For the full schedule, go to: bctransit.com/squamish/
Christmas tree safety
If you put up a real Christmas tree, the BC Office of the Fire Commissioner and Squamish Fire Rescue offer the following tips to ensure you trim the tree safely this holiday season:
•Ensure it is one metre from any sources of heat.
•Check all light strings for signs of wear or damage, and always turn lights off before leaving the house or going to bed.
•Never use lit candles on a tree.
•Water it daily to ensure it does not dry out.
Winter tires
Don't forget, since Oct. 1, winter tires or chains are required on the Sea to Sky Highway. It is the law.
"On B.C. roads and highways where winter tires are required, passenger vehicles and light trucks need to use tires that have the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol or 'M+S' on the sidewall. This applies to two-wheel, all-wheel, and four-wheel drive vehicles. The tires need to be in good condition and have a tread depth of at least 3.5 mm (5/32”)," reads the 4 Road Safety at Work site.
"Designated winter tires are your best option for staying safe in winter conditions. We recommend using a set of four matched winter tires with the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol."
The tires must stay on through to March 31. Not having proper winter tires or chains can earn drivers a fine of $121.
Driving issues to note:
• Parking on select streets in Squamish is now restricted to one side only until March 1, 2025.
"This ensures snow plows and emergency vehicles can safely navigate during winter conditions," says the District.
"Vehicles parking on the No Parking side of the street may be ticketed and towed at any time to ensure community safety. The fine for impeding snow removal is $250."
Affected streets:
- Hemlock Avenue - Cedar Drive to Spruce Drive
- Chestnut Avenue - Cedar Drive to Spruce Drive
- Fir Street - Pine Drive to Spruce Dr.
- Third Avenue - Pemberton Avenue to Winnipeg Street (No parking on East side); Pemberton Avenue to Vancouver Street (No parking on West side)
- Fourth Avenue - Winnipeg Street to Main Street (No parking on West side)
- Fifth Avenue - Winnipeg Street to Main Street. (No parking on West side)
- Sixth Avenue - Entire street. (No parking on West side)
- Eaglewind Boulevard - No perimeter parking near the roundabout at the end of Pemberton Avenue
- Edgewater Drive - Government Road to Edgewater Crescent (No parking on East side)
- Edgewater Crescent - Entire street. (No parking on the outside perimeter of the Crescent)
- No Name Road - Entire street. (No parking on East side)
- Brothers Place - Entire street. (No parking on South side)
- Britannia Avenue - Magee Street to Buckley Avenue. (No parking on East side)
- Harris Road - Government Road to cul-de-sac (No parking on South side)
- Hope Road - Depot Road to Axen Road (No parking on East side)
- Diamond Road- Tantalus Road to Garibaldi Way. No parking on North side.
- Diamond Head Road - Garibaldi Way to Mamquam Road- No parking on West side.
- Glacier View Drive - Entire street. No parking on the outside perimeter.
To find out more, go to: squamish.ca/winter-parking.
Issues to note on the highway
No road work is planned for today, Dec. 25, but due to the heavy rain be wary of water pooling on the highway.
Gas prices
In Squamish, regular gas is going for 164.9 cents per litre at Squamish Valley Gas Bar, located at 9001 Valley Dr.
In Whistler, fill up for 165.9/L at most stations.
According to GasBuddy, one of the least expensive places for gas again today in B.C. is Kimberley (along Highway 95A between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains), where you can fill up for 144.9/L at the Centex, at 521 Wallinger Ave.
The cheapest you will pay for gas in Vancouver is 164.9/L at the Esso at 5702 Granville St.
