Most of the Lower Mainland and the South Coast saw a few centimetres of snow today.
For most commuters there weren’t too many problems, however there were some minor accidents and spin-outs due to icy conditions on the roads.
The bridges saw the slipperiest conditions, with some minor incidents on the Golden Ears Bridge and Pattullo Bridge.
Highway 1 through Burnaby and Coquitlam was backed up due to an accident on the Brunette overpass.
Freezing rain was causing dangerous conditions on Highway 101 in Powell River. Highway 16 saw compact snow and limited visibility due to blowing snow east of Tete Jaune. There was also compact snow north of Merritt with limited visibility on the roads.
In terms of snow, meteorologist Kristi Gordon says a system has moved in from the north so most areas are seeing about 2 cm in accumulation. However, areas further inland, such as the Peace River region, will see about 5 cm of snow fall.
Gordon says there is about another 24 hours of these conditions for the South Coast due to the northerly flow.
Get daily National news
By late Tuesday and early Wednesday we will see a change in that flow as warmer air from the west moves in.
Gordon says the big issue will be in the next 24 hours where the temperature will hover around the freezing mark and the roads will be very icy.
The City of Vancouver crews are out salting Vancouver’s major routes today. The city has dispatched 20 trucks to salt and sand major routes. They also have a total of 1,800 tons of salt in stock. Overnight crews and equipment are ready to be deployed if today’s weather continues this evening and into tomorrow.
Homeowners are begin reminded to clear and salt driveways and sidewalks.
Tomorrow morning drivers are being urged to slow down and leave extra time for the morning commute due to the icy conditions.
By Wednesday, on the South Coast, we will warm up to about +4 degrees and the rain will move in. Gordon says this will mean temperatures will feel more like normal for this kind of year.
This weekend’s cold snap saw many record lows broken across the province.
West Vancouver saw a low of -7.9 degrees, breaking the old record of 4.8 degrees. And YVR dropped to minus 10.0 on Saturday morning. It was not a record, however, as it was -12 degrees on that date in 1980.
Comments