Happy very wet Sunday, Squamish.
Are you feeling the effects of daylight saving time? Are your pets?
Well, today may be a good day to stay home and nap, thanks to the weather.
"A long episode of rain, at times heavy, continues," reads the warning.
Total rainfall amounts near 75 to 120 mm are expected by this afternoon.
There's also a rainfall warning in effect for between Squamish and Pemberton.
Total rainfall amounts near 60 mm are expected from now through this evening for this region north of Squamish.
Because of all this rain, the River Forecast Centre high streamflow advisory is also still in effect for our region.
"Significant flooding is not anticipated; however, localized flooding (i.e., in smaller streams) and water pooling on roads are possible, particularly at lower elevations and in areas with poor drainage. Fast-flowing rivers pose increased risk to life safety, and the public is urged to be cautious."
We will see a high of 10 C today and an overnight low down to 3 C.
Sunrise was at 7: 39 a.m.; sunset is at 7:08 p.m. (Thanks, time change!)
The forecast for the rest of the week is looking dreary, with nothing but showers and rain through to next weekend.
Highway issues to note
•On Highway 99, northbound, expect maintenance work at Porteau Cove Rd (9 km north of Lions Bay), starting on Monday, March 10 at 7:30 a.m until 5:30 p.m. The right lane will be closed. The slow lane will be closed for sign replacement.
•On Highway 99, southbound, watch for roadside brushing, which is planned between Retta Lake Rd and Alice Lake Rd for 0.7 km (9 to 8 km south of Whistler). The work will start on Monday, March 10 at 7:30 a.m. and continue until 5:30 p.m. The right lane will be closed.
•On Highway 99, in both directions, expect roadside brushing between Daisy Lake Rd and Retta Lake Rd (4 km south of Whistler), starting on Tuesday, March 11 until Wednesday, March 12. The work will continue from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday. The northbound lane will be closed. Watch for traffic control personnel.
*On Highway 99, in both directions, watch for construction work between Park St and Portage Rd for 0.5 km (Pemberton), until Saturday, Aug. 30. The work lasts from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. The right turn lane off of Hwy 99 and left turn lane onto Hwy 99 from existing access road are affected. There will be construction access and heavy truck access.
*On Highway 99, in both directions, avalanche control work is planned between Lil'wat Pl and Seton Lake Rd for 3.1 km (40 km north of Pemberton to 41 km south of Lillooet), starting on Sunday, March 9 at 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Expect delays of up to 20 minutes.
•On Highway 99, there's limited visibility with fog between Lil'wat Pl and Seton Lake Rd for 45.1 km (Lillooet). Expect compact snow. The road is slushy with slippery sections.
•On Highway 99, again, there's limited visibility with fog between Seton Lake Rd and Hat Creek Rd for 55.5 km (Lillooet). Expect the road to be slushy with slippery sections.
Gas prices
In Squamish today, regular gas is going for 181.9 cents per litre at Squamish Valley Gas Bar, located at 9001 Valley Dr. That's the cheapest in town.
The least expensive gas in Whistler is 182.9/L at the Co-op, located at 2101 Lake Placid Rd.
In Pemberton, drivers will pay 180.9/L at the Petro Canada at 1440 Portage Rd.
The cheapest gas in B.C. can be found in Lake Country (n the Okanagan Valley), where you can fill up for 129.9/L (!!) at the Canco at 3191 Woodsdale Rd.
Still need those winter tires on
Don't forget, since Oct. 1, winter tires or chains are required on the Sea to Sky Highway. It is the law.
"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.
The tires must stay on through to March 31. Not having proper winter tires or chains can earn drivers a fine of $121.
Mount Garibaldi Cemetery
More room is needed at the cemetery, therefore, an expansion program is underway.
Beginning March 3, there has been forest and vegetation clearing, followed by construction expected from July to December 2025.
"Once complete, the expansion will provide additional burial options, including green burials and a scattering garden, ensuring long-term cemetery services for Squamish," the District says in a post on its social media.
"Cemetery access will be reduced, and there will be temporary cremation delays until March 17. Nearby residents and visitors may experience noise from chainsaws, tree felling, and trucking, as well as increased truck traffic on Government Road.
Additionally, the Zombie Crawl Trail will be temporarily closed, with signage posted to indicate the closure."
Got construction?
If you have moseyed on down the west side of Second Avenue downtown of late, you would have run into a closed sidewalk in front of the old and new Squamish Chief offices.
It is due to work on the outside of what will soon be North Shore Medical Imaging at 38117 Second Ave, which was previously The Squamish Chief's office.
Our media outlet is now next door, at 38113 Second Ave., where H&R Block used to be. The tax experts are now at 1305 Pemberton Ave., where Keir Fine Jewellery used to be. (Are you keeping up?)
All the other businesses are open and operating, so come on down if you need coffee from 1914 Coffee Company, or to send off a package at The UPS Store—or grab sushi at Manpuku Sushi.
Beware of cougars
Local Johan Brandhorst-Satzkorn says he spotted two cougars on Feb. 18 by the Mamquam spawning channels, on the little bridge between the Mamquam River and the Squamish Valley Golf Club.
He wants to warn other locals to be aware of them.
The District notes that while negative encounters are uncommon, Squamish is prime cougar habitat.
The municipality and WildSafeBC provide the following tips to keep safe around cougars on local trails:
Be alert and aware at all times.
- Avoid surprise encounters by making noise—use your voice
- Hike or bike in groups of two or more and keep children close at hand.
- Keep dogs leashed.
- Look for signs of fresh cougar activity, like claw marks on trees or logs, scat or paw prints.
- Avoid food caches: cougars will cover unconsumed portions of their kill with twigs, leaf litter or soil. If you come across a cache, leave the area immediately. Be alert to circling ravens or turkey vultures.
- Riding or running quickly and quietly puts you at risk for surprise encounters. Slow down when going around blind corners and make noise.
- Cougar kittens are usually well-hidden. However, if you do encounter cougar kittens, do not approach or attempt to pick them up. Leave the area immediately, females will defend their young.
- Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
Pool closure
Please note that the Brennan Park Pool is closed for the foreseeable future, to address the facility's deck, which has been deemed a potential slip hazard.
The District estimates the closure could last for a minimum of four weeks, or more.
"Any 10 and 20 visit passes due to expire during the closure will be extended. Monthly pass holders will also receive an extension through the closure. Staff will cancel and refund all registered aquatic programs and rentals. Refunds will automatically be issued next week," the District says.
After backlash from last Feb. 12's pool closure announcement, the District provided more up-to-date details about what is happening.
"Slip-resistance testing was carried out at the pool by an independent third party on Feb. 11, under the direction of VCH," the District said.
"The report indicated that the tiles did not meet the required anti-slip standards for wet surfaces. Under the BC Public Health Act Pool Regulation, a pool operator must ensure that pool aprons, walkways and floors have a surface that is slip-resistant when wet. Because the slip resistance did not meet the required standards for wet surfaces, VCH ordered an immediate closure."
The muni said Brennan Park pool closes for annual maintenance each year to "ensure the longevity of the Aquatic Centre and to help prevent larger, more costly problems from occurring."
Brennan Park Recreation Centre's front desk will close at 9 p.m. Monday to Friday for the duration of the pool closure. All Arena rentals will continue as normal.
Moon phase
The moon is in its waxing gibbous phase.
"The waxing gibbous is the fourth phase in the cycle of phases. This Moon phase occurs once a month, rising around 3 p.m., and setting around 3 a.m., sticking around for approximately 7.38 days before going into the full moon phase. The term waxing means increasing, and the term gibbous means 'humped-back.' Therefore, this phase is called waxing gibbous because the surface area of the moon that you see is increasing and the shape of the lit-up part of the moon looks like a hump-back. This phase is one step in the cycle away from the full moon phase, where the sun, earth, and moon are in a straight line," reads the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center site.
The moon's illumination is currently 79.77%.
It is currently located in the constellation of Pisces, according to phasesmoon.com.
B.C. extremes
Yesterday's hot spot in all of B.C. was Kamloops, which saw a high of 17.6 C, according to Environment Canada data.
It was also the hot spot in all of Canada.
(The high at Squamish Airport yesterday was 5.7 C.)
The coldest spot in B.C. on March 8 was Fort Nelson, which dipped to -15 C.
Seawater temp
According to seatemperature.info, the water temperature in Howe Sound today is 7.8 C.
March average water temperature in Howe Sound is 7.5 C, the minimum temperature is 5.8 C, and the maximum is 10.3 C.
Avalanche forecast
According to avalog.co, today, the alpine rating is high, the treeline rating is high, and the below treeline rating is high.
What does a high rating mean?
"High is the second highest level on the avalanche danger scale. During periods of high danger, avalanche conditions are very dangerous and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Natural avalanches are likely and human-triggered avalanches are very likely. Large avalanches are expected in many areas or very large avalanches in specific areas," reads the Avalanche Canada definition.
Known problems include wind slabs and persistent slabs.
The advice for today from avalog.co is:
"Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended on Sunday. As the storm slab problem worsens, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain."
- Avoid avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.
- Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.
- Avoid freshly wind-loaded terrain features.
- Storm slabs in motion may step down to deeply buried weak layers and result in very large avalanches.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
The District reminds locals that Squamish DOX Recycling, located at 40446 Government Road, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The recycle hub accepts a variety of recyclable materials, including: glass, flexible plastics, foam packaging, paper and cardboard, containers (plastic, metal, and paper).
Events to note
In addition to Jane Stanton and friends on today (March 9) at The BAG, these other events caught our eye.
•Today, there's also Pokemon Trade & Play at Arrow Wood Games, located at 38157 2 Ave, from 3 to 5 p.m.
"Join the weekly Pokémon Trade & Play at Arrow Wood Games! Bring your cards to trade or battle. Ages 6+ can be dropped off. Drop-ins welcome," reads the listing.
•Tonight there's also Jazz Night at Trickster's Hideout at 38005 Cleveland Ave., from 5 to 9. p.m.
"Jazz Night will feature talented musicians delivering smooth, soulful sounds from 6PM to 9PM. Doors open at 5PM, so come early to secure your spot and settle in for a night of musical magic. Tickets are just $5 online and $10 at the door. Don’t miss out on this vibrant celebration of jazz in the heart of Squamish," reads the listing.
Looking ahead to April 4, there's the Ocean Film Festival Canada, at Eagle Eye Community Theatre, located at 38430 Buckley Ave., from 6 to 9 p.m.
"A night of awe-inspiring ocean films! Get ready to be amazed by the beauty and power of the sea. From breathtaking underwater footage to inspiring stories of marine conservation, this event is perfect for ocean lovers of all ages. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonders of the ocean! At the Ocean Film Festival Canada our vision is to inspire you to explore, respect, enjoy, and protect our oceans. Film is at the heart of the Ocean Film Festival World Tour and we aim to share the best films from around the globe with our audiences," 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."
