Freak spring hailstorm blankets Metro Vancouver in ‘snow’

You don’t need to double-check your calendar — it is indeed May 12. But despite the spring date, parts of Metro Vancouver were blanketed in what appeared to be snow late Friday afternoon.

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In actuality, it wasn’t snow, but thick hail that swept in from the south and brought along thunder and lightning to Maple Ridge, Coquitlam and Port Moody at around 5 p.m.

Residents were quick to snap pictures of the odd storm and photos show some streets in Port Moody buried under inches of hail.

It was a similar scene in Coquitlam.

Maple Ridge did not miss out on the fun (?) either, where Global News reporter Jennifer Palma reported temperatures as low at 6°.

Global BC Senior Meteorologist Kristi Gordon says the storm cells are moving north toward the mountains, but systems currently passing through northern Washington state may cause more turbulent weather across the region this evening.