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Victoria fog expected to lift as storms move in

Fifth day of disrupted flights out of Victoria in past week
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Thick fog has settled in Victoria for several mornings in late October. (Nicole Crescenzi/News staff)

Early morning fog in Victoria continues to cancel and delay flights on Oct. 24, for the fifth day in the past week — but the foggy mornings are expected to end soon.

Armel Castellan, a warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the fog was caused by a storm over the Pacific and a high-pressure ridge that formed Oct. 2.

“This is all going to change quite quickly because as of today, Haida Gwaii is under a wind warning with a very strong low-pressure system affecting the North Coast. The impacts of it are going to be across all of B.C.’s coast including down here in Victoria,” Castellan said.

As winds and rain begin on Oct. 24, the fog will dissipate.

He added that the thick fog is not quite enough for a special weather statement, but Environment and Climate Change Canada may have been considering one because of the impact on airport operations.

“Even the traffic gets completely slowed down on the Saanich Peninsula when you’ve got so much fog everyone slows to a crawl,” Castellan said on Oct. 24. “Over the last few mornings, different pockets of fog will certainly have an impact on ferries and smaller airplanes like float planes. With Harbour Air and Kenmore, who rely on visual flight rules, there can be cancellations with respect to low-visibilities.”

Several flights out of the Victoria International Airport were delayed, while Harbour Air Seaplanes’s flight schedule shows four cancelled flights — between 8 and 10 a.m. — and expect more delays. For the fourth time since Oct. 20, Helijet tweeted its flights are being affected by the fog.

READ MORE: Fog in Victoria affects at least four airlines

Foggy weather is typical in late October, Castellan said, as the season changes from summer to late fall and days get shorter.

“We’re less than two months away from solstice, so this is the time of year when change in daylight is reduced at a maximum rate. We’re losing many minutes a day as opposed to several seconds,” he said. The loss of light and heat helps form fog — known as stratus clouds — on the ground level.

Although the fog is expected to lift as early as noon, a different weather pattern is moving in. Rain is expected to begin Wednesday evening and continue all Thursday, which will help clear any fog in the morning.

As the weather shifts to storms, Castellan recommends using caution on the water and being prepared for power outages, which will be more common on the North Coast.

“Soon we’re going to start to feel those massive storms down the coast, and I would urge people to think of what their plan is when it comes to being prepared for stormy, active weather.”

He recommends checking DriveBC for road updates.

READ MORE: See your great fog images from across Greater Victoria


@KeiliBartlett
keili.bartlett@blackpress.ca

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The view from Mt. Tomie is non-existent during thick fog in Victoria on Oct. 24. (Arnold Lim/News staff)