Up to 24 cm of snow could fall in Metro Vancouver by next Tuesday

Earlier forecasts for the return of snowfall beginning Friday and lasting through Tuesday are persisting as the weekend grows closer.

Environment Canada’s most recent forecast this morning for its main Vancouver weather station at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) indicates the continued possibility of snowfall, but slick road conditions could potentially be tempered by possible periods of rainfall – particularly during the daytime when temperatures rise above the freezing point.

A high pressure system responsible for this week’s sunny conditions in the South Coast will move further inland and be replaced with a moisture-packed low pressure system coming from the southwest.

Expect daytime highs of between 2°C and 4°C and overnight lows of between -3°C and -4°C at YVR and other nearby low-lying areas near the warming influence of sea waters from Friday to Tuesday.

Colder temperatures can generally be expected at higher elevation areas in Vancouver, the North Shore, eastern municipalities in Metro Vancouver, and Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby Mountain campus. More snowfall could be experienced at these locations.

No estimated snowfall accumulations are provided by the federal weather agency at this time, but The Weather Network currently predicts as much as 24 cm in Vancouver from Friday to Tuesday, with as much as 10 cm during the first wave on Friday.

Over in Abbotsford, the chance of snow is greatly increased as temperatures are expected to hover at the freezing point during the daytime and reach an overnight low of -7°C when the moisture system arrives. Conditions will be even colder along the Sea to Sky Highway, with overnight lows of -7°C and -10°C for Squamish and Whistler Village, respectively. Only snowfall is forecasted for Squamish and Whistler, no rainfall is expected.

Significant snowfall can also be expected in the ski hills in the North Shore and Whistler Blackcomb, providing the mountains with a thicker snow base as spring approaches.

Vancouver International Airport

Image by: Environment Canada

Abbotsford

Image by: Environment Canada

Squamish

Image by: Environment Canada

Whistler Village

Image by: Environment Canada