Will there be a white Christmas in Kamloops?

Dec 20, 2016 | 2:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — Environment Canada says the chances of a white Christmas in Kamloops this year are very good.

Forecaster Ross MacDonald says there may be some snowmelt this week with temperatures slightly above zero, but more snow is on its way toward the end of the week.

“Typically this time of year we usually see daytime highs around 0°C or so, and lows of about -7°C. We are going to bring those up to seasonal, if not just slightly above for this week, which will be quite nice.”

“The next main weather system looks like comes by Thursday, and into Friday, with potentially a little bit more snow developing Thursday night which will be just in time for the big weekend – with Christmas day coming up. So it is looking pretty good for a white Christmas for Kamloops.”

“I expect the snowpack will come down a little bit right at the bottom of the valley there in town. But we are going to get a little bit more on Thursday night, Friday, and into early Saturday. We can bring a little bit of that back if it does start to lower a little bit, so I think things are looking good for certainly a white Christmas there.”

MacDonald says Kamloops gets a white Christmas most of the time.

“For Kamloops, just for the numbers, usually we bat 6-for-10 with white Christmas’ on average throughout the last 70 years that we have been keeping track.”

He adds the Lower Mainland, which gets a white Christmas about one year in 10, probably won’t get one this year.

MacDonald says even though there is snow on the ground in the Vancouver area right now, temperatures are expected to be mild enough to melt it all by the weekend.

WEATHER: For the latest Kamloops forecast, click here.