B.C.’s south coast is bracing for yet another blast of winter weather this weekend.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Saturday that says more snow could hit the province’s south coast. On Saturday afternoon, that statement became an official snowfall warning for Metro Vancouver, Whistler, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island.
Somewhere between 10 to 20 cm of snow is expected by dinnertime Sunday with higher amounts of snowfall expected inland and at higher elevations. Coastal areas of Vancouver Island may see closer to 5 to 10 cm.
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Snow will then turn to rain in many parts of the region by Sunday night into Monday morning, but snowfall could linger in the Squamish and Whistler areas well into Monday, bringing snowfall totals of 20 to 30 cm.
In the Fraser Valley, as well as Howe Sound and inland regions of Vancouver Island, the snow is expected to change to freezing rain Sunday night.
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Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson announced Saturday evening that additional warming shelters will be opened at the Creekside and Britannia community centres, which will stay open throughout Saturday and Sunday night until 7 a.m. the following morning. The city’s permanent and temporary shelters are already full and turning people away, the mayor said.
Many faith centres and churches are also opening their doors, including the Khalsa Diwan Society on Ross Street in South Vancouver, which is providing 20 shelter spaces Saturday night.
Crews around the region are preparing for wintry weather.
The City of Vancouver said its fleet of trucks are prepared to help clear busy roadways.
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The City said it has already exceeded its snow removal budget before the official start of winter. Vancouver has spent $1 million to date, well over the $750,000 budgeted to battle wintry weather. The City said the extra money will come out of its contingency budget.
Meanwhile, Victoria has also well exceeded its $36,000 snow removal budget, having spent $96,000 so far this year. The City has also dipped into its contingency fund to cover those extra costs.
The City of Surrey’s own snow removal budget is much higher than Vancouver’s, at $3.5 million. The City says it has spent around $1.2 million so far in the last few weeks, and are on track to come in at or under budget for the 2016 calendar year.
Cities that are prone to much more snow than Metro Vancouver have snow removal budgets well over $20 million per year. Calgary, for example, has a budget of $37 million, which still pales in comparison to cities like Edmonton ($54 million), Toronto ($94 million), and Montreal (a whopping $155 million).
B.C.’s Transportation Ministry says a chopper will be deployed when needed to blow snow and ice from the cables of the Alex Fraser Bridge, which spans the Fraser River between Richmond and Delta.
Lanes on the bridge have twice been closed over the past week because of winter debris falling from the cables onto the span and posing a threat to drivers.
In both instances, the bridge was closed for more than four hours.
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Before the closure, falling ice and snow shattered several dozen windshields, prompting the provincial government to offer to pay drivers’ insurance deductibles.
The government says the helicopter is only a temporary solution, and that a more permanent fix is in the works.
Officials are urging everyone to use a little common sense when it comes to outdoor skating. Several people were spotted skating on Trout Lake in East Vancouver Friday night despite warning signs posted nearby warning to keep off the thin ice.
Environment Canada warns that the combination of Sunday’s rain with melting snow as the temperature changes could lead to localized flooding throughout the region Monday.
– With files from The Canadian Press, Nadia Stewart, and Yvonne Schalle
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