Sunday could prove to be another treacherous day on the roads as Environment Canada has issued numerous snowfall warnings across the province.
Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast, central and north coasts and much of Vancouver Island are all under snowfall warnings.
Environment Canada says somewhere between 10 to 20 centimetres of snow is expected to hit Metro Vancouver Sunday with higher amounts of snowfall expected inland and at higher elevations. Coastal areas of Vancouver Island may see closer to 5 to 10 centimetres of snowfall.
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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 centimetres.
There have been several minor accidents in Metro Vancouver due to the poor weather. A lamp post was knocked down on Boundary Road just north of E. 22nd Ave. There was also a crash in Burnaby on Lougheed Highway near Lake City Way.
Also, a car sustained some front-end damage on the Alex Fraser Bridge.
No major injuries have been reported.
The cold conditions have been relentless over the past few weeks with several cities already breaking the bank to pay for road maintenance.
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The City of Vancouver 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.
But with snow expected throughout Sunday morning and into the afternoon Surrey says it’s well prepared.
“In the last few weeks we’ve spent approximately $1.2 million,” Robert Costanzo with the City of Surrey said. “So if things prevail we should be on or under budget for this calendar year.”
Sunday’s snowfall was also causing transit delays in Metro Vancouver. HandyDART is operating essential service only across much of the Lower Mainland with the exception of Vancouver and Richmond, although riders in those areas should expect delays.
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Harbour Air said they have cancelled all Sunday morning flights due to the weather.
The cold conditions over the past several weeks have led to overwhelming demand at local shelters as the region’s most vulnerable seek refuge from the cold.
The City of Vancouver is providing additional warming centres Sunday night. Both Creekside and Britannia community centres are being used as makeshift facilities as all spaces at permanent and temporary shelters are already at capacity. The warming centres don’t have any bedding, but will provide hot drinks and water to those wanting to get out of the cold.
-With files from Sean Boynton
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