Heavy snow aims for B.C.’s South Coast as disruptive system arrives
Heavy snow accumulations could spell tricky travel for parts of B.C. this weekend.
Snowfall warnings and winter storm warnings blanket much of British Columbia heading into the final weekend of February as a moisture-laden system looks to slide down the coast through Sunday morning.
It’s been a couple of months since we’ve seen this kind of snowfall across the South Coast, so residents should prepare for travel disruptions and post-storm cleanup accordingly.
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The low-pressure system responsible for this weekend’s wintry weather will slide down the coast through the day Saturday.
North Vancouver Island will see snow as early as Saturday afternoon before precipitation becomes more widespread across the South Coast and Lower Mainland throughout the day.
Folks should prepare for the possibility of travel disruptions this weekend.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued snowfall warnings for all of the Lower Mainland, including Metro Vancouver, through Sunday morning.
“Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions,” ECCC said in its warning. “Rapidly accumulating snow will make travel difficult.”
Snow will grow in both intensity and coverage heading into Saturday evening, eventually tapering off to snow flurries through Sunday for the South Coast and Vancouver Island.
Gusty winds will accompany the cold front’s passage on Saturday evening. Low visibility is possible in spots where gusty winds accompany the snowfall.
We could see 5-15 cm of snow across Metro Vancouver by the end of the storm, with totals reaching 15-25+ cm farther east along the Fraser Valley.
Communities along the eastern shores of Vancouver Island will likely see lesser snow totals with only a few centimeters expected for Victoria.
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Behind the storm, temperatures will slowly improve across the South Coast heading into next week, though near to below-seasonal temperatures are likely to stick around through at least the first few days of March.
Another round of unsettled weather will arrive early next week, bringing the potential for rain and snow across the region.
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Be sure to check back for the latest on this approaching wintry weather across B.C.
