Cold snap back to reality: Metro Vancouver faces threat of snow

Snow? In this economy? An arctic blast is set to slam into Vancouver and cause temperatures to possibly plummet to -10°C in the region and bring a risk of snow.

Computer models forecast a significant pattern change next week since it looks like an Arctic outbreak pattern is expected to hit Metro Vancouver around Tuesday next week, Trevor Smith, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told Daily Hive.

“That’s kind of when we’re going to see a change and start of a chance of snow over the Lower Mainland and the kind of that Tuesday-Wednesday timeframe,” Smith explained. “As the arctic air is starting to push out and it’s going to combine Pacific moisture to give us a chance for snow across much of the Lower Mainland.”

Smith warns it will get colder than average in Metro Vancouver.

“We’re looking at probably at least five to 10 degrees below average starting Wednesday of next week,” he explained. “Once the arctic air has started to arrive, and probably those well below average temperatures will continue through Saturday of next week at least.”

While snow in February may seem strange for some, Smith ensures the weather Metro Vancouver has been facing has been fairly typical.

He does warn the winter weather may hit higher elevations of Metro Vancouver as soon as Thursday night.

“Like SFU, Burnaby Mountain… maybe 300 meters higher, could see some snow.”

Otherwise, the rest of the region can expect to see showers until early next week.