Uncommon snowy Saturday morning seen in the Thompson Okanagan

Thompson Okanagan residents were hit with some unexpectedly snowy conditions this morning.

Snow was seen falling in the South Okanagan, Kamloops and Kelowna early today, April 9.

“It’s not very common but there are cases where it does happen,” Environment Canada meteorologist Gary Dickinson said.

He used Kamloops and Kelowna for comparison as they make the most extensive weather observations in the region.

Kelowna hasn’t recorded a snowfall in April since 1984, when 1.2 centimetres was measured, he said. In Kamloops, the last time there was snow in April was in 2010, however in 2002, that city recorded two snowfalls in the month of May.

But move over snow – thunderstorms may be rolling in within a few hours. This afternoon there is a 70% chance of showers with a risk of thunderstorm for the Okanagan and in Kamloops. However, the risk of thunderstorms is not part of the forecast in Penticton.

Then it may be back to solid precipitation tomorrow with a chance of flurries in Kelowna and Penticton. Vernon and Kamloops are not expecting flurries tomorrow morning but there is another risk of thunderstorms in those two areas.

For the rest of the weekend, the high in Kamloops and the Okanagan ranges between 8 and 9 C, which Dickinson said is below normal for this time of year.

“Fourteen degrees is a normal high for this time of year, for early to mid April,” Dickinson said.

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