UPDATE: Snowfall warning in Vancouver now forecasting up to 20 cm

The snow doesn’t know how to quit us. Not just yet, anyway.

According to Environment Canada, even more snow than first expected is on the way to Metro Vancouver on Friday.

The weather agency issued yet another statement for Vancouver, this time, it’s a snowfall warning.

Friday’s warning in effect for:

City of Vancouver – including Burnaby and New Westminster
Metro Vancouver – northeast including Coquitlam and Maple Ridge
Metro Vancouver – southeast including Surrey and Langley
Metro Vancouver – southwest including Richmond and Delta
North Shore – including West Vancouver and North Vancouver

Environment Canada says that a long period of snowfall with total amounts of 10 to 20 cm is expected in the region through tonight.

“Areas near the water will see the lower amounts as the snow becomes wet or mixed with rain this afternoon and tonight. Localized higher amounts of near 25 cm are possible near the North Shore Mountains,” states the warning. “The snow will end late overnight as the low moves to the south.”

Be prepared to drive in the snowy conditions, especially since highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.

The weather may also impact rush hour traffic in urban areas.

On Thursday, the City of Vancouver said it would be activating its Engineering Department Operations Centre in response to continuing cold weather and anticipated snow fall over the weekend.

“For the last week, we have been out to brine the streets in advance of snow flurries and to help reduce ice caused by freezing weather,” says Taryn Scollard, the Director of Streets for the City of Vancouver, in a release. “When we see weather reports such as what is anticipated this weekend, we also pull crews from other departments, such as water and sewer construction crews, to help support salting and snow removal and sidewalks and bus stops. We have been active over the past week to salt high-risk areas.”

Let’s hope that’s the case, we’d rather not experience December’s snow chaos again.

The snow should be melting within a few days, as temperatures will be rising again by Sunday.

And Vancouver’s usual rain returns at the start of next week.

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