You’ve heard the jokes. Vancouver doesn't have weather; it just has different shades of grey. But honestly, if you’re looking at the 14 day forecast for vancouver bc right now, you’re in for a bit of a shock. We just crawled out of a massive atmospheric river that shattered records on January 13th—Vancouver hit a wild $13.8^\circ\text{C}$, beating a record from 2014— and now the sky is doing something it rarely does in January.
It’s staying dry. For a bit, anyway.
The Dry Spell Nobody Expected
Basically, we’re in the middle of a "sunny shift." After getting drenched with upwards of 100mm of rain in a single weekend earlier this month, a ridge of high pressure has moved in. If you’re looking at the immediate 14-day window starting from mid-January, it’s surprisingly crisp.
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The next few days—specifically through Monday, January 19th—are looking gorgeous. We're talking clear skies and highs around $8^\circ\text{C}$ to $10^\circ\text{C}$ ($46^\circ\text{F}$ to $50^\circ\text{F}$). That’s unseasonably warm. Usually, Vancouver averages about $6^\circ\text{C}$ in January.
But don't get too comfortable.
Mid-January Temperature Breakdown
- Saturday, Jan 17: Sunny and $10^\circ\text{C}$. Clear night, though fog is gonna roll in.
- Sunday, Jan 18: More sun. High of $9^\circ\text{C}$.
- Monday, Jan 19: Clear skies hold. High $7^\circ\text{C}$ or $8^\circ\text{C}$.
- Tuesday, Jan 20: The clouds start creeping back. High $6^\circ\text{C}$.
When the "Snow" Word Starts Popping Up
Here is where the 14 day forecast for vancouver bc gets kinda tricky. Around Wednesday, January 21st, the pattern shifts. We go from "sunny and crisp" to "cloudy with a chance of... something."
Environment Canada is currently eyeing a 30% to 40% chance of rain showers or flurries starting Wednesday night into Thursday, January 22nd. By the time we hit the following weekend (Jan 24-25), the temperatures are projected to dip. We’re looking at highs of only $3^\circ\text{C}$ to $5^\circ\text{C}$ and lows hovering right around the freezing mark ($0^\circ\text{C}$ or $32^\circ\text{F}$).
In Vancouver, that is the danger zone.
If the moisture from the Pacific hits that cold air at the right time, the city turns into a skating rink. Or, more likely, a slushy mess that shuts down the transit system. Realistically, the long-range models suggest a mix of rain and snow for the end of the month, particularly between January 22nd and January 26th.
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Atmospheric Rivers and the "New Normal"
We can't talk about a 14-day outlook without mentioning what just happened. That atmospheric river on January 12-13 wasn't just a heavy rainstorm. It was a subtropical moisture plume that sent river levels screaming. While flood watches for the Englishman River and Chilliwack River have been downgraded to high streamflow advisories, the ground is still saturated.
What does that mean for you?
Even if the forecast says "light rain," the risk of pooling on roads like the Lougheed Highway or the Sea to Sky is much higher. The soil can't take much more. If the forecast for the final week of January turns heavy, we could see those evacuation alerts pop back up in the Fraser Valley.
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Real Talk: What to Pack and How to Prep
If you’re visiting or just trying to survive the commute, forget the umbrella. The wind in the Georgia Strait usually turns them inside out anyway.
- Waterproof Shell: Not "water-resistant." Waterproof.
- Layers: It'll be $10^\circ\text{C}$ in the sun on Sunday, but $1^\circ\text{C}$ in the shade or after 4:00 PM.
- Tires: If you're heading toward Whistler or even just driving through the North Shore, ensure you have M+S or Snowflake tires. The transition from rain to "flurries" happens in a matter of minutes once you gain 100 meters of elevation.
Actionable Next Steps
- Monitor the Freeze-Thaw: Watch the Tuesday night (Jan 20) temperatures closely. If it drops below zero, Wednesday morning’s commute will be icy.
- Check DriveBC: Before heading out toward Hope or Squamish, check the live cams. The "sunny" forecast in the city often masks heavy fog or slush on the mountain passes.
- Clean Your Gutters: Seriously. If the rain returns as predicted for the last week of January, you don't want that atmospheric river residue clogging your drainage.
The big takeaway? Enjoy the sun through Monday. It's a rare January gift. After that, the classic Vancouver "mix of everything" returns, and things could get messy.