A 'punishing cold air' mass has made its way into southern British Columbia, bringing temperatures up to 10 C below the seasonal average.
Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning Monday (Dec. 19) morning on the heels of a significant weather event Sunday that brought several centimetres of snowfall to Metro Vancouver.
The Weather Network has also weighed in on the snowy event, noting that bitterly-cold temperatures will provide "widespread snow as opposed to mixing or rain."
"The location of the developing storm in combination with the cold air locked in place will allow widespread snow to spread over southern B.C. through the day on Tuesday, providing a solid opportunity for accumulating snowfall throughout the region,” said Kelly Sonnenburg, a meteorologist at The Weather Network.
The weather channel also characterized the snow event as "impressive" since the snow will be "fluffy" and have no trouble accumulating.
Metro Vancouver weather forecast including varying amounts of snowfall accumulation
Some areas of southern B.C. are expected to receive significantly more snowfall than others, according to The Weather Network's map.
For example, parts of Vancouver Island are forecast to receive 15 to 20 cm of accumulation, while others are expected to receive between 10 to 15 cm.
Similarly, parts of Metro Vancouver, including the City of Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Delta, Surrey, and Coquitlam, are expected to receive about 5 to 15 cm of snowfall. That said, a closer look at the map shows how some of these areas, such as Tsawwassen will have less snowfall, while other places, such as Vancouver and Burnaby, will have more (the map indicates a deeper shade of blue for areas that are expected to receive more, with lighter hues indicating lower amounts).
Folks in the Fraser Valley will likely see greater accumulations of snowfall than Metro Vancouverites, according to the map. Chilliwack may see up to 10 to 15 cm while Hope could receive as much as 15 to 25 cm.
The Weather Network and Environment Canada urge drivers to slow down and exercise caution during inclement weather. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways, and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.
