Snowfall warnings continue on B.C.'s South Coast Sunday
10 cm of additional snow expected at higher elevations on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland
Wet snow continues to fall over much of the South Coast Sunday morning, with Environment Canada predicting that up to 10 additional centimetres will fall on areas at higher elevations.
Between two and five centimetres of snow is expected to fall on low-lying areas of East Vancouver Island, Inland Vancouver Island, Greater Victoria, the Southern Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
The South Coast snowstorm began Saturday morning after cold winds from the east teamed up with a warm storm front that slid over Haida Gwaii Friday.
A snowfall warning was in effect Saturday for Greater Victoria, the east side of Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands, where between 10 centimetres and up to 20 centimetres of snow was expected, though unofficial totals recorded as of 5:38 p.m. PT Saturday fell under predicted values.
On Sunday, Environment Canada said that the weather system stayed further north than was forecast Saturday, and snow persisted over most areas through the night.
"Another system is moving onto the coast today and will continue to bring snow to much of the South Coast. Snow is forecast to ease this evening," Environment Canada said in a bulletin at 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
Gallery: Snow days descend on South Coast
Unofficial snowfall totals, in centimetres, for Sunday, February 23, at 4 p.m. PT
"Widely varying reports of snowfall accumulation have been observed. Little to no snowfall accumulation occurred at many coastal or low level locations while inland and higher terrain locations have reached above 20 cm," Environment Canada says.
- Vancouver Airport — 1
- West Vancouver — 15
- North Vancouver (at 130m) — 15
- North Delta — 5-10
- Hope — 5
- Abbotsford — 20
- Whistler village — 8
- Squamish — 5
- Powell River — 9
- Victoria Airport — 6
- Malahat Highway — 28
- Campbell River — 19
- Nanaimo Airport — 14
- Saturna Island — 25
- Port Hardy — 5
- Comox — 6
Observations collected from Twitter and weather watchers:
- Nanaimo - Pipers Lagoon — 4
- Nanaimo - Brechin Hill — 17
- Nanaimo north — 20-25
- Nanaimo (near VIU at 220m) — 36
- Chilliwack — 24
- Shawnigan Lake — 22
- Gabriola Island — 21
- Cortes Island — 20
- Duncan — 16
Source: Environment Canada weather summaries