Winter storm is causing concern over southwestern British Columbia and Vancouver Island. It should fall until Friday.
Environment Canada issued a winter storm warning early Thursday morning for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound and the Sea to Sky Highway. These regions could therefore receive significant amounts of snow, but also freezing rain and strong winds.
Up to 40 centimeters of snow are expected near Hope, and up to 25 cm over Howe Sound. Environment Canada is forecasting up to 35 centimeters of snow along the Sea to Sky Highway from Squamish to Whistler.
Metro Vancouver could receive 20 to 40 millimeters of rain, “and possibly more over the North Coast mountains starting this afternoon and weakening on Friday morning,” Environment Canada said. On the Fraser Valley side, it is freezing rain that will make driving conditions dangerous, at least until Friday morning.
The federal agency also urged citizens to delay all non-essential travel until conditions improve: “The rapid accumulation of snow could make travel difficult in some places. Surfaces, such as roads, streets, sidewalks and parking lots, will become icy, slippery and dangerous ”.
School breakdowns and closures
Heavy snowfall has already caused power outages, notably in Tahsis and Zeballos on western Vancouver Island.
“As heavier snowfall is expected, the progress of the work will depend on weather conditions and the ability of crews to safely access damaged areas. As a result, we expect these customers to be without power for at least a few more days, ”BC Hydro wrote on Thursday morning.
Twenty schools also had to close their doors on Thursday in the south of the province including on Vancouver Island.