Environment Canada says a snowstorm is expected to hit Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria and beyond, bringing up to 20 centimetres of accumulation and possible freezing rain to southern British Columbia.
The weather agency has issued a snowfall warning in the region with a forecast of "widespread snow" starting tonight and into Wednesday.
Snowfall, winter storm and other weather warnings and advisories cover much of B.C., with forecasts of snow accumulation between 10 centimetres in coastal areas to 25 centimetres in the Elk Valley stretching into Alberta.
With more snow expected to hit Vancouver overnight, it's important to plan ahead. City crews are working across the city to make sure our roads are ready for the forecasted snowfall later this evening.
— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) January 16, 2024
We are encouraging residents to limit travel to essential trips only during…
With the freezing temperatures hanging around a little longer, don't forget to take the necessary steps to keep your water lines from freezing.
— Office of the Mayor (@SurreyMayor) January 16, 2024
• Locate and insulate exposed water lines
• Add an insulated cover to outdoor taps
• Turn off all outside taps and drain lines to… pic.twitter.com/bgRr35gE48
Northern Alberta, much of Saskatchewan, western Manitoba and parts of the Northwest Territories also remain under an extreme cold warning with wind chill possibly reaching -50.
Further east, southern Ontario is dealing with a handful of snow squall warnings, watches and advisories, and the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec is under a winter storm warning where people are asked to postpone all non-essential travel.
In Atlantic Canada, most of New Brunswick is under a mix of snowfall, winter storm and freezing rain forecasts, and Nova Scotia as well as Newfoundland and Labrador face a patchwork of rainfall, winter storm and wind notifications with gusts up to 140 kilometres an hour possible in some areas.