B.C. South Coast braces for round two of snow, freezing rain
A winter storm warning is in place for the Fraser Valley, with 10 to 20 cm of snow in forecast
Snowfall warnings are in place again for most of B.C.'s South Coast, after winter weather delivered 20 centimetres of snow to parts of the region on Saturday.
Environment Canada has updated its forecast to a winter storm warning for the Fraser Valley, from Abbotsford to Hope, with 10 to 20 centimetres of snow expected by Monday afternoon.
Meteorologist Louis Kohanyi says the storm will begin with light snow Sunday, intensify on Monday, and last into Tuesday as a Pacific front crosses the South Coast. Another five to 10 centimetres of snow is possible on Tuesday before the precipitation changes to rain, but Environment Canada says the details are uncertain at this time.
Kohanyi said there could also be freezing rain in Abbotsford.
Environment Canada warns that surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery. The weather agency says snow accumulations are still uncertain, but total snowfall could be 10 to 20 centimetres by Monday afternoon.
In Metro Vancouver, a snowfall warning is in effect, with between 10 and 15 centimetres of snow predicted for Sunday.
The snow is expected to become mixed with rain late Sunday afternoon in some areas as another system reaches the region.
Environment Canada says the snowfall amounts will vary and that higher elevations could see much higher accumulations.
More snowfall on Vancouver Island
The weather agency has also issued snowfall warnings for the east coast of Vancouver Island, including Victoria, the Southern Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and the Central Coast. The regions are all expected to see between 5 and 10 centimetres of snowfall throughout Sunday.
"This is the second winter storm arriving and ... there was heavy snow yesterday and there's still some cold temperatures in place and with the moisture arriving and with the cold air over the region, that's what's generating the snow," Kohanyi said Sunday.
The Malahat is expected to see total snowfall of 15 to 25 cm by Monday evening. Environment Canada is reminding travellers to be prepared for reduced visibility and heavy snow.