Abbotsford sits in coastal British Columbia, where a mild oceanic climate brings Canada’s heaviest rainfall totals, driven largely by atmospheric rivers of moisture that arrive off the Pacific through autumn and winter.
In the Fraser Valley, the city was among the areas most severely affected by the 2021 atmospheric river floods, which submerged large areas of farmland. These atmospheric river events, including the catastrophic November 2021 storm that caused widespread flooding and landslides across the region, can drop extraordinary rainfall totals in just a few days, making radar an essential tool alongside Environment Canada’s official warnings. Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map