Winter storm set to bring up to 30 cm of snow to South Coast as extreme cold grips north
CBC
Environment Canada has issued a slew of weather alerts for British Columbia as coastal and interior communities brace for heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures continue to create dangerous conditions in central and northern areas of the province.
Winter storm warnings are in effect Wednesday for several regions including Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, the Central Coast, Howe Sound, the Sunshine Coast, the Okanagan Valley and the West Kootenay.
A low-pressure system is forecast to spread heavy snow across the South Coast starting Wednesday night, with up to 20 centimetres of snow predicted for Metro Vancouver by Thursday and up to 30 centimetres possible over Howe Sound and the Fraser Valley.
On Thursday, the snow will begin to transition to rain across Metro Vancouver as the system brings in milder air and temperatures begin to rise.
Environment Canada is recommending people only travel in Metro Vancouver for essential reasons until conditions improve as rapidly accumulating snow could make road conditions treacherous.
TransLink says crews are preparing for the storm by swapping out its 18 metre-long articulated buses for more agile 12-metre vehicles on steep routes such as up Burnaby Mountain and around the North Shore.
Spokesperson Tina Lovgreen advised transit users to pad their commutes with extra time and check TransLink's website and Twitter for the latest route conditions.
Travellers can also expect up to 25 centimetres of snow across most of Vancouver Island before Thursday morning. The northern tip and Haida Gwaii could see a possible 30 centimetres and, along with the central and north coasts, high winds.
Snow on the Island is expected to turn to freezing rain early Thursday. During this transition, there is a risk of freezing rain for central and eastern Vancouver Island, as well as the Malahat Highway.
The federal weather agency has also placed many central and northern communities under extreme cold warnings, with temperatures expected to dip below -40 C in the Peace River area, the Bulkley Valley, Cassiar Mountains, the Chilcotin, Fort Nelson and Prince George.
It says a very cold air mass is hovering over northeastern B.C. and will remain in place for the rest of the week.
For the Peace River region, there will be minimal relief from the cold during the daylight hours due to persistent winds.
At the most northern point of the province, around Dease Lake, wind chill values could drop to near or below -45 C, especially during the morning and overnight hours.
There are also extreme cold warnings for southeast B.C. In the Elk Valley, it will feel like -35 C with the wind chill Wednesday afternoon, Environment Canada said.
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