Rain, dusting of snow forecast to reach B.C. by Friday

Smoke from wildfires burning in B.C. and Washington is wreaking havoc on air quality in the province, but British Columbiansmay soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief as rain or snow is expected in some areas as early as Friday, Environment Canada says.

The weather office says another nine temperature records were set Wednesday across the province, including four on Vancouver Island, where a high of 21.5 C in Port Alberni broke the old mark of 20.6 C set 104 years ago.

There were other records in Powell River, Whistler, Pemberton, Trail and in Tatlayoko Lake, west of Williams Lake.

But forecasters say the heat will soon be replaced by the first rain in more than a month, while Interior mountain passes will see a dusting of snow.

Environment Canada predicts the rain and snow will begin Friday afternoon and continue through Saturday as a colder air mass sweeps across the province.

Rain accumulations are expected to be in the double digits on southern Vancouver Island. But little more than one millimetre is forecast by early Saturday for the Sechelt area, where the region's main water reservoir has fallen to critically low levels, prompting a state of emergency.

More rain is expected Sunday and next week around Sechelt and over the South Coast, where the most severe level of drought is in effect.

In northeast B.C., which is also ranked at Level 5 drought, any precipitation will likely fall as snow as temperatures dip below freezing, with overnight lows down to -11 C in some areas by Monday.

Air quality advisories remain in effect from the west coast of Vancouver Island through the Lower Mainland to the Interior and will continue through this evening and into Friday.

The weather agency rated the eastern Fraser Valley was a 10 on its 10-step Air Quality Health Index on Thursday morning. Metro Vancouver is currently rated at an eight. Across the rest of the province, the risk varies between a two and a five.

"Avoid strenuous activities outdoors. Children and the elderly should also avoid outdoor physical exertion," the weather service advised.

"Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation."

A statement from the Metro Vancouverregional district saysair quality will improve significantly on Friday with a shift in the weather.