B.C. cold snap and snowfall prompts school closures, extreme weather warnings

A bitter cold spell sweeping over coastal and northern British Columbia has brought snow and prompted school and college closures. 

Environment Canada has issued extreme-cold or arctic-outflow warnings for numerous areas in the province, saying wind-chill temperatures could drop to –45 C in the north and reach –25 on the coast.

Several school districts in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley have closed public schools due to snow and poor road conditions, including Langley, Abbotsford, Mission and the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows District. 

The University of B.C.'s main campus is shut to in-person learning, along with the B.C. Institute of Technology, University of the Fraser Valley campuses, Kwantlen Polytechnic's Langley and Cloverdale campuses, and Capilano's North Vancouver campus.

Environment Canada says an arctic air mass is bringing very strong outflow winds through to Wednesday and possibly later for inland regions. 

Snowfall warnings are in effect for parts of eastern and western Vancouver Island, the Southern Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and Metro Vancouver, forecasting anywhere from five to 20 centimetres of snow. 

Extreme cold weather warnings have also been issued for several parts of the province, including the North and South Peace River, Dease Lake, Elk Valley, Yoho Park and Muncho Lake Park. Cold temperatures, along with winds in these areas, mean it could feel as cold as –45 C. 

Arctic outflow warnings are also in effect for parts of the central and north coasts, the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound and Whistler.

Overnight freezing in Metro Vancouver

Alyssa Charbonneau, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said conditions are going to dry out over the next few days across Metro Vancouver, with less snow expected.

However, Charbonneau says the cold air is expected to linger, potentially causing icy conditions. 

"While the chance of snow diminishes, we're going to still be seeing temperatures well below seasonal normal. It's going to feel quite cold," said Charbonneau. 

She said people need to take proper precautions, including ensuring sidewalks in front of homes are cleared, as low overnight temperatures could cause freezing. 

"Snow that does fall and accumulate is unlikely to be cleared away by Mother Nature, as we often rely on here in Metro Vancouver," said Charbonneau.