A sunny or rainy long weekend? It depends on where you go!

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The first long weekend of summer is just hours away, and we know a whole lot of you will be heading out of town.

So, we caught up with News1130 Meteorologist Russ Lacate, asking what you can look forward to if you’re taking off for other parts of BC.

Heading to the Interior?

“If your getaway destination is to the Southern Interior, I urge you to go now,” he advises. “You’ll enjoy a warm, dry Friday. The sun’s going to make an appearance and the temperature will be in the mid to upper-20s.”

But it won’t last; Lacate tells us clouds are expected to roll in tomorrow. “It brings a threat of thunderstorms right across the Okanagan and the neighbouring districts for Saturday night.”

“If you leave that BBQ until Canada Day, you might have to host it under a big tarp; it looks pretty touch-and-go for the second half of this long weekend in the Interior,” he adds.

Visiting Vancouver Island?

“Yes, it’s going to be wet at times over the Gulf Islands and into Victoria for tonight and Saturday,” admits Lacate. “But just don’t cut your trip short; you don’t want to miss out on the beautiful weather.”

“The sun is going to reappear in our provincial capital on Canada Day. We can feel pretty confident about those island temperatures climbing into the low 20s. That’s not only for Sunday, but straight through the holiday Monday, as well,” he explains.

Escaping to the States?

I’m thinking one of your best escape routes might be to celebrate Canada’s birthday south of the 49th parallel because not only is the sun expected to brighten up your Seattle forecast for Sunday afternoon, but you stay an extra night and you get rewarded. It’ll be warm and dry on the holiday Monday with the temperatures around Puget Sound edging up towards a summery 25 degrees.

Staying in town?

Here on the Lower Mainland, it’s looking pretty wet starting tonight and throughout tomorrow. It’s looking fairly cloudy with a chance of showers for Canada Day. The weekend temperatures are expected to peak at about 20 degrees. It’s not until Monday when the weather it dries out.

Long waits expected at the ferry terminals

They are expected to be some of the busiest travel hubs this long weekend: your BC Ferries terminals.

The best way to get on-board this weekend is by booking a reservation, which you can do by phoning BC Ferries or checking online.

It will be jam-packed at the Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen terminals. You’re encouraged to get there as early as possible, especially if you’re taking your car.

We’ve spoken to several people at the terminals, who were willing to take the earliest-possible sailing today in order to start their long weekend. They’ll be spending up to a full week spending time with family and friends, enjoying the sunshine and relaxing with a cold one.

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