South Coast braces for wintry blast
People on the South Coast should brace for this season’s first blast of winter as an Arctic air mass is forecast to bring icy temperatures and snow.
Showers and flurries were expected overnight Sunday with snow in inland areas and higher elevations, said Environment Canada, which issued a special weather statement for the region Sunday afternoon.
Winter weather brought high winds Sunday afternoon, forcing the cancellation of a handful of B.C. Ferries sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay.
In some parts of Metro Vancouver, waking up to snow was a possibility this morning. Environment Canada was calling for a dusting in much of the region with about four centimetres expected over higher terrain, while Abbotsford was expected to receive about two cm of snow.
A large dump of snow fell over the weekend on the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt, making for treacherous driving conditions.
The precipitation was expected to give way to sunny, crisp and dry — but cold — conditions Wednesday and Thursday.
Temperatures will plunge up to 10 degrees below seasonal, said Environment Canada, with overnight lows ranging from -2 C to -6 C at Vancouver International Airport.
The weather office said “more significant snowfall” is likely for Thursday.
The City of Vancouver said it has 44 trucks and 1,500 tonnes of salt ready to hit the roads. Crews worked late on Sunday to salt and brine the city’s major routes even before the snow was expected to start falling.
The city reminded residents to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice by 10 a.m. in case of a snow day and clear storm drains of leaves and other debris to prevent flooding.