Vancouver snow: The aftermath and what’s next

Wet, heavy snow piled up fast around Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley over the weekend, but the start to the work week wasn’t as messy as it was with previous storms.

The most recent snowfall didn’t create the chaos we saw just a couple of months ago, when we saw major disruptions on roadways and across every travel sector. The latest storm hitting on a Saturday night certainly helped, with no snowy commute to contend with.

It’s also not the holiday travel season, so volume isn’t quite as high at places like Vancouver International Airport. However, the weekend wasn’t without its issues.

201 flight cancellations at YVR

Many passengers at YVR expressed frustration amid delays as airlines tried to catch up after cancellations and disruptions Sunday.

Many flights were cancelled ahead of the storm. YVR Vice President and Chief of External Affairs Mike McNaney previously told CityNews the airport was working with airlines to thin out the flight schedule ahead of Saturday.

YVR warned that more cancellations and delays were possible. In total, 201 flights were cancelled out of 1,088, the airport said.

YVR by the numbers as of this morning

Currently operating 88% of originally scheduled flights for today.
Over the storm period, Saturday/Sunday there have been 201 flight cancellations out of 1088.

We will update info here and on our website https://t.co/pk0JCqHaJI

— YVR (@yvrairport) February 26, 2023

In an update Sunday, YVR said it was operating at 88 per cent of originally scheduled flights for that day.

Wet snow challenges

Meanwhile, though the snow didn’t wreak the same kind of havoc as we’ve seen in the past, the snow that did fall was wet and heavy, creating other challenges.

Amy Sidwell, manager of street operations for the City of Vancouver, says that led to some trees and branches falling.

“[The snow is] just so much heavier on the branches so that can happen. There were some traffic impacts from that,” she told CityNews.

Falling trees also led to many power outages across the region, keeping BC Hydro workers busy as thousands of customers were left without power.

As of Sunday afternoon, the utility provider said it had restored power to more than 90 per cent of those affected by the storm.

#BCStorm update: Crews have restored power to over 90% of impacted customers. Repair work will continue through the day until all customers are restored. Updates: https://t.co/VjgvY31O0b pic.twitter.com/eHhPMwD95G

— BC Hydro (@bchydro) February 26, 2023

While warmer temperatures did contribute to heavier snow, Sidwell says there were also some benefits.

“The main difference that we saw with this event is that we had a lot of assistance with the temperatures warming up overnight. So that really helps with the snow melting, and helps kind of activate the salt,” she explained.

Metro Vancouver weather: what’s next?

While there was a bit of a break from the snow, the forecast brings with it the potential for some more flurries to start the week.

CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss says we’re not expecting nearly as much as we saw Saturday night.

“There’s a pretty good chance for some flurries developing through the afternoon as a few weak waves, especially along the coast, of precipitation track in. A trace to a centimetre is in there today, and then tomorrow morning it’s going to be unsettled as well,” he said Monday.

Not done with winter just yet. A few flurries possible this afternoon. A dusting to a couple cm Tuesday morning. #Snow @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/E7U2GYS5Ye

— Michael Kuss (@Kusswx) February 27, 2023

Kuss says with cooler temperatures in the mix, it could be a slippery morning commute Tuesday, with more flurries and light precipitation in the forecast.

“Two to four centimetres is not out of the question,” he said of snow Tuesday. However, he notes things dry up and clear later in the day.

Listen to CityNews 1130 for weather updates after traffic every 10 minutes on the ones. You can also follow Meteorologist Michael Kuss on Twitter and subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

With files from Astrid Agbayani, James Paracy, and Michael Williams