Heavy rain and snow bring messy start to weekend for B.C. north coast

It’s gearing up to be a wet and messy day along British Columbia’s north coast as an atmospheric river system brings another blast of winter.

Environment Canada says up to 100 millimetres of rain is expected to fall in communities such as Prince Rupert, Terrace and Kitimat beginning today and lasting through to Saturday morning.

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Roughly 15 centimetres of snow could also fall in inland sections of major highways.

There’s also a weather warning for wind gusts around 120 kilometres an hour in Haida Gwaii and the B.C. coastline, going from Prince Rupert south to Port McNeill on the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

In the north, a winter storm warning is in effect for Stewart and the South Klondike Highway near the Alaskan Panhandle, with snowfall of 40 centimetres possible.

A snowfall warning is also in effect for up to 20 centimetres of snow in the Cassiar Mountains area into Yukon, covering much of the area surrounding Watson Lake.