Cold, icy conditions will be prevalent in the Nanaimo region as the temperature drops this week. (Reuben Friesen)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

cold snap

First deep freeze of winter hits Nanaimo region

Feb 9, 2021 | 6:40 AM

NANAIMO — A snow shovel might not get too much of a work out, but a thick winter jacket and gloves will come in handy this week.

Environment Canada posted sweeping weather alerts over the weekend, including for the mid-Island area, where a blast of artic air is slated to grip the region throughout the work week.

Meteorologist Bobby Sekhon said this weather system represents the first dose of cold arctic air to blanket the south coast this season.

“This arctic air is coming down over the B.C. coast and into Vancouver Island and right now we’re seeing cold weather alerts all the way from the B.C. coast to Thunder Bay, Ontario.”

Sekhon said the cold snap now in effect will likely ease off slightly by the weekend.

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“We’re expecting temperatures to kind of bottom around Wednesday night into Thursday, even Thursday night in the Nanaimo area getting down to about minus five, which is about six degrees below average for this time of year,” Sekhon told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Environment Canada expects the mid-Island’s morning wind chills this week will make it feel more like minus 10.

A small chance of flurries is in the local forecast throughout the early portions of the week, with Wednesday and Friday forecast to deliver a few centimetres of snow.

Sekhon said we’re in the tail end of a La Nina winter, generally resulting in a colder than normal winter with potentially more snow.

He added this late winter blast of cold weather could be a sign a second system will follow later in February.

The mid-Island area has avoided the brunt of cold and snow this season in the lower elevations, with the exception of a pre-Christmas, single day dump of snow.

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