Despite Environment Canada ending its special weather statement in Metro Vancouver, temperatures in the region are still expected to drop below freezing in the next 48 hours.
Although Metro Vancouver won’t get any snow, snowfall warnings are in effect for many parts of B.C., including the Okanagan Valley, Whistler, Shuswap and the South and North Thompson.
About 15 to 20 centimetres of snow is expected to fall today through Tuesday on many major highways, such as the Sea to Sky, Trans-Canada Highway, the Okanagan Connector, and the Coquihalla Highway. Snow will become heavy at times throughout the night so visibility will be poor.
Environment Canada is warning about strong Arctic winds approaching and is asking people to check for weather updates regularly and drive safely.
Many regions across B.C. have already gotten some snow on Monday. Global BC viewers have been sharing photos of the snow where they live:
WATCH: Shelters Struggle to Meet Demand
Metro Vancouver is expected to reach freezing temperatures Tuesday. This cold front is putting pressure on shelters all across the region.
“Right now we have 72 beds; those are usually full right up,” said Jeremy Hunka of Vancouver’s Union Gospel Mission. “We have an enormous need in Vancouver, in the Downtown Eastside, right now of people who just don’t have anywhere else to go.”
UGM will add an additional 20 to 25 spaces if a weather alert is issued. Also, the provincial government has announced funding for 560 extreme weather shelter spaces across Metro Vancouver.
The City of Vancouver said 70 beds at winter shelters operated by the Salvation Army are open, with another 100 beds set to open on Dec. 1.
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“We can only operate as many shelters as the province will fund and this year they’ve given us the same number as last year, 170. But I fear looking at the numbers already that that’s not going to be enough,” said Vancouver city councillor Kerry Jang.
Many shelters may only be open for three or four days at a time or even a few hours a day, so Jang says they have to find out whatever is available that day and try to get people over there.
The problem, he says, is that by the time they get there, many are already full.
But the bigger tragedy, he adds, is the BC Housing decision to not keep track of the number of people shelters turn away.
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