Snowfall warning ends, but frigid cold on its way to Metro Vancouver

Metro Vancouver’s snowfall warning ended late Tuesday morning, but has since been replaced with an Arctic Outflow Warning, as a massive dump of snow hit the Lower Mainland overnight.

Environment and Climate Change Canada says, however, that another 10 to 15 centimetres of snow could fall during the day, adding to the round of snow that began Monday night.

That advisory covers much of Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, and East Vancouver Island.

“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow,” the weather service said.

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CityNews Meteorologist Carl Lam says the system that moved in from Monday night into Tuesday really “overperformed.”

“Many areas, in and around Metro Vancouver, picked up between 20 to 30 centimetres of snow. The Snowfall Warnings were a great call by Environment Canada and very much necessary.”

Lam says that while the snow will taper off into Wednesday, dangerous cold is spilling into the region. Wind chills on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning could make things feel as cold as -17.

“The concern for Wednesday is for widespread cold across the entire region. Daytime high temperatures will be only getting up to around -9° and a wind chill of -20°,” Lam said. “The cold continues into Wednesday night with overnight lows dropping to -11° and a wind chill of -22°. For areas up north in Whistler, temperatures will easily be in the -18° to -22° range throughout the day and wind chill values in the -30s.

Environment Canada has since issued an Arctic Outflow Warning for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. The weather service is suggesting windchill temperatures could drop to between -25 C and – 20 C for Metro Vancouver and -30 C to -25 C for the eastern parts of the Valley through Thursday afternoon.

“Ensure that shelter is provided for pets and outdoor animals. Be prepared for unusually cold temperatures and strong winds,” Environment Canada said.

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