Residents of southern B.C. hoping for a break from shovelling may be disappointed as a messy mix of wind, rain, snow and freezing rain dominates the Sunday forecast.
An intense winter storm is moving across the province’s coast and bringing heavy snow to the region, Environment Canada warns.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect for the Howe Sound area and Sea to Sky Highway. Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton could get 30 to 50 centimetres of snowfall, and a mix of rain and wet snow as freezing temperatures rise.
Meanwhile, a wind warning has been issued for the Sunshine Coast, Southern Gulf Islands and East Vancouver Island, which could see winds of 70 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 90 km/h, near the Strait of Georgia.
Metro Vancouver near the water and Greater Victoria will also be affected by strong winds.
The forecast calls for up to 20 cm of snow in the inland portion of Vancouver Island, with a risk of freezing rain.
In Metro Vancouver, rain and rising temperatures could cause rapid snowmelt on the ground.
The City of Vancouver’s street-clearing crews are out in full force, said street operations manager Amy Sidwell, with the goal of clearing priority roads and pedestrian paths as soon as possible.
“There were plows out overnight as well, but when it’s still falling it takes some time to clear it away, so it makes it more effective once the snow stops falling,” she said Sunday. “Today we are seeing more snow accumulation on the west side.”
As snow turns to rain, the city is asking residents to clear their catch basins.
West Kootena, Kootenay Lake and Boundary are also under winter storm warnings, with 20 to 25 cm expected to fall in the former, and 40 to 60 cm expected in the latter two.
Similar warnings have been issued for the Nicola, Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon areas, with up to 30 cm predicted to fall on the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt. There’s also a risk of freezing rain near Hope, says Environment Canada, but the hazardous winter conditions are expected to ease on Monday.
Special weather statements have been issued for West and East Columbia, Similkameen and the Shuswap as well as a Pacific system bringing snow to the province’s Interior highways.
Close to 30 cm could fall on the Trans-Canada Highway from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass, while 15 cm and 20 cm are expected on Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton via the Allison Pass.
Only Fort Nelson, the Peace River region and Cassiar Mountains remain under an extreme cold warning, with wind chill values of -45 in the afternoon and as low as -55 overnight. Environment Canada says there will be “minimal relief” in the conditions due to persistent winds, but the temperatures could abate on Tuesday as the wind dies down.