The City of Vancouver says it’s learned from 2016’s unusually white winter and if it snows hard this year, staff are ready.
For now, salt is piled high at a work yard — 1,600 tonnes to be exact — and another 8,000 tonnes with city vendors.
Between the city and park board, nearly 150 machines are ready to salt, brine and plow.
“We’re monitoring the forecast 24/7, but at the same time we are also prepared for it to change just like that so we have vehicles ready to go,” said Erin Hoess, street operations manager.
”This year and building from last year, we’ve put in capital improvement, we’ve increased fleet and increased brine storage capacity and we’re feeling very well equipped’.”
As for weather, there is no snow on the horizon for the Lower Mainland, except for Whistler.
Parts of the region are still seeing temperatures in the double digits.
“Last year was a good year, we didn’t have a lot of snow compared to the following year,” Howard Norman with the Vancouver Park Board said. “I think in all we are all a bit traumatized by the year before. That was an anomaly I hope. So as far as budget is concerned we are on budget, on schedule, so if we have another year like that, I’d be thrilled.”
Global BC meteorologist Kristi Gordon said there’s no doubt the 2018 season will be different than 2017, when the Lower Mainland saw snow on Nov. 3. Last year was a “La Niña year,” while this year is trending towards a mild El Niño season.
“La Niñas, we tend to get snow here in the Lower Mainland, local mountains as well, whereas in an El Niño year it tends to be milder and dryer,” Gordon said.
“An El Niño year doesn’t mean we aren’t going to see any snow, it just means we’re going to see a milder and dryer season.”
— with files from Aaron McArthur
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