Severe Weather

Severe Weather

In Nelson, severe weather can strike suddenly, at any time of the year, and often without warning. Whether it’s extreme heat or cold, thunderstorms, hailstorms, blizzards, ice storms, strong winds, or heavy rain, our community experiences a variety of severe weather events season after season.

With severe weather often comes a loss of power, so be prepared to be on your own by developing a personal emergency plan, putting together your emergency preparedness kit.

Extreme weather is events like droughts or prolonged cold spells. Being prepared with stored water, extra supplies and blankets etc can help your family stay comfortable during prolonged weather events. Being prepared helps us stay safe no matter what nature throws our way.

 Learn more about severe & extreme weather here.

How to stay informed? 

Environment Canada Weather Alerts: Public weather alerts for British Columbia.

Environment Canada Weather Forecast: Weather conditions all across Canada.

Get current road conditions and travel warnings through Drive BC.

DriveBC: Highway conditions, highway cams, and delay information.

Information about extreme temperatures and health


Interior Health: Key information about heat and health. 

BC Provincial Heat Alert Response System (HARS): Learn more about Heat Warning and Extreme Heat Emergency 

Where’s the best place to go when you need to cool down?

Nelson & District 
Community Complex (NDCC)
Public Parks Nelson Public Library ANKORS
305 Hall Street see map link below 602 Stanley Street 101 Baker Street

Other Public facilities:

  • Other locations include: Community centres, shopping malls, religious centres

Parks and other shaded green spaces:

  • Gyro Park, Lion’s Uphill Park, Rotary Lakeside Park, Art Gibbon Park, Cottonwood Falls Park, see map here

Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide

Extreme heat guide

Find out what to do before, and during extreme heat, how to stay safe, and recognize the signs of heat exhaustion.

Extreme Heat preparedness guide (PDF, 12.6MB)

For more information or inquiries about this guide, please contact PreparedBC@gov.bc.ca.

Severe Winter Weather  and Storm Preparedness Guide

Find out what to do before, during and after extreme winter weather, storms and power outages.

Severe winter weather and storm preparedness guide (PDF, 12.6MB)

For more information or inquiries about this guide, please contact PreparedBC@gov.bc.ca.