Happy Thursday, Squamish!
Today, expect it to be mostly cloudy, with some rain showers and flurries ending this morning, according to Environment Canada. There will be clearing late this morning.
We will reach a high of 6 C and dip down to a chilly -6 C tonight, which will fill like -11 C with the windchill.
Once we get through today, the forecast is calling for sunshine through next week, though temps will hover around 2 C during the day and well below freezing at night.
Sunrise & sunset
Sunrise on Jan. 16 is at 8:04 a.m. Sunset today will be at 4:41 p.m.
Moon phase
It is a waning gibbous moon tonight, folks!
"The term waning means decreasing, and the term gibbous means 'humped-back.' Therefore, this phase is called waning gibbous because the surface area of the moon that you see is decreasing and the shape of the lit-up part of the moon looks like a hump-back," explains the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center site.
The moon's illumination is currently 92.18%.
It is currently located in the constellation of Leo, according to phasesmoon.com.
Moonrise is at 8:06 p.m.; moonset is at 9:45 a.m.
B.C. extremes
Yesterday's hot spot in all of B.C. was Tatlayoko Lake (in the western Chilcotin District of the Central Interior), which saw a high of 11.1 C, according to Environment Canada data.
(The high in Squamish yesterday was 8.1 C. It was a beauty of a day!)
The coldest spots in B.C. on Jan. 15 were Fort Nelson Airport and Princeton, which dipped to -9.8 C.
Today's hot spot in B.C. is slated to be Lytton, which could reach 10.5 C.
The coldest spot in the province is predicted to be Puntzi Mountain (near Williams Lake), which could see a low of -11.1 C today.
Tides
Today, high tide is at 8:08 a.m. (height: 4.89 metres); The next low tide today is at 1:55 p.m. (3.25 m), according to tide-forecast.com.
The final tide, a high tide, will be at 6:18 p.m. (3.96 m).
Seawater temp
According to seatemperature.info, the water temperature in Howe Sound today is 7 C.
Seawater temperature in Howe Sound is expected to drop to 6.5 C in the next 10 days.
January average water temperature in Howe Sound is 6.5 C, the minimum temperature is 5.1 C, and the maximum is 7.8 C.
Avalanche Forecast
According to avalog.co, today, the alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low.
Known problems include wind slabs.
The advice for today from avalog.co is:
"Lingering wind slabs may remain reactive to human triggers in isolated locations below alpine ridgetops. Minimize exposure to overhead hazards when solar radiation is strong."
- Carefully evaluate steep lines for wind slabs.
- Avalanche activity is unlikely when a thick melt-freeze crust is present on the snow surface.
- A hard crust on the snow surface will help strengthen the snowpack, but may cause tough travel conditions.
Sea to Sky Gondola conditions
The Sea to Sky Gondola is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, with the last download at 6 p.m.
Grooming:
*Backcountry Access Road to Upper Shannon Creek bridge (3km return): Last Groomed : Jan. 15.
Grooming starts from lodge.
*Sky Pilot Valley Trail (5km return): Last Groomed : Jan. 15.
109 cm of snow at the snow groomer turnaround at 1,050m. 0 cm new snow over the last 24 hrs.
(See more of the conditions at the gondola.)
Events to note
There's always something going on in this town. In addition to the Battle of the Bands at the BAG, here's a couple of other events that stood out to us for this week.
Jan. 17, at Trickster's Hideout, located at 38005 Cleveland Ave., there's Squamish Comedy Classic: Jokers Canada, from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
"Please arrive 30 minutes before showtime! Jokers Canada is bringing pro headliners and Canada’s best touring comics to Trickster’s Hideout. All previous Jokers Canada events have sold out. This event is a pro stand-up comedy showcase with some of Canada’s best comics," reads the listing.
Jan. 18, there's Learn to play Dungeons & Dragons at Arrow Wood Games (16+), located at 38157 2 Ave., from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
"The perfect gateway into the world of D&D. This event requires tickets to be purchased in advance," 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."
Winter tires
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.
"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
•On Highway 99, in both directions, watch for tree pruning between Brunswick Beach Rd. and Porteau Cove Rd. (Lions Bay), until Friday, Jan. 17. (Road maintenance work.)
Gas prices
In Squamish today, regular gas is going for 175.9 cents per litre at most local stations, up about 10 cents from yesterday.
In Whistler, you can fill up for 165.9/L at the Co-op, located at 2101 Lake Placid Rd.
The cheapest gas in Vancouver is at the Petro Canada at 710 SE Marine Dr., where you can fill up for 173.9/L, according to Gas Buddy.
The cheapest gas in B.C. can be found in Kamloops, where you can fill up for 151.9/L at Costco, at 1675 Versatile Dr.
