Tuesday will be the last day of sunnier, dry weather – at least for now.
A transition to much colder, wetter weather is on track for most of British Columbia over the next 48 hours, with heavy snow expected in the mountains.
Arctic air will sweep southward through the Central B.C. Interior Tuesday night through Wednesday, reaching the Southern B.C. Interior Wednesday night and Thursday, says Global BC meteorologist Mark Madryga. Highways north and east of Hope connecting the Interior will experience flurries Wednesday and probable heavier snowfall Wednesday night and Thursday.
In the Lower Mainland, Madryga says showers on Wednesday will turn to increasing rain Wednesday night through Thursday. With Arctic air trickling in on Thursday through Friday morning, the North Shore Mountains will experience heavy snow.
Wet snow could be mixed with rain close to sea level, with a greater chance of wet snow accumulating at elevations above 300 metres, which includes the highest residential neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland. The eastern Fraser Valley between Chilliwack and Hope will be on the edge of the rain/snow boundary as well on Thursday through Friday morning.
READ MORE: Report asks City of Vancouver to increase snow response budget
Following last winter, the City of Vancouver is modifying its snow response plans.
This year, staff say changes include expanding coverage of snow removal areas to include pedestrian pathways, arterial corner ramps, bus stops, and priority laneways to assist in garbage collection.
They are adding traffic cameras in priority snow-response routes and locations, training more drivers so the city has more crew members to call on, putting more winter tires on all non-commercial city fleet vehicles and expanding its fleet to include 10 small dump trucks, four municipal utility vehicles and six sidewalk snow blowers.
READ MORE: Vancouver City Councillor calls for inquiry into salt problems
The city is also implementing a three-tier priority route schedule. Areas designated as priority one will be cleared in less than 12 hours, those marked as priority two will be cleared in less than 48 hours and those marked as priority three will be cleared in up to seven days.
The city also wants to increase salt supplies after concerns were raised last year about the supply and distribution.
WATCH: Scramble for salt in Vancouver (aired Jan. 6, 2017)
Last winter, the City of Vancouver spent $13.7 million on snow removal and supplies.
Previously, the city’s snow budget was $780,000 with a contingency. This past July, council approved a budget increase of $840,000, bringing the total to $1.62 million.
By comparison, Edmonton budgets around $54 million annually, Montreal budgets $155 million and Calgary budgets about $37 million.
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