VANCOUVER -- By early Friday morning, the North Shore mountains were blanketed by snow, and Environment Canada is warning that more flakes could fall on several areas of Metro Vancouver at higher elevations throughout the day.
A special weather statement is in effect for parts of Metro Vancouver, including areas of Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, the North Shore, Coquitlam and Maple Ridge.
Environment Canada warning preparedness meteorologist Bobby Sekhon says that includes neighbourhoods like SFU in Burnaby and Burke Mountain in Coquitlam.
“You could get a good dusting on your lawn, and there could be one or two centimetres accumulating for the very highest neighbourhoods, but we’re not expecting a whole lot,” Sekhon told CTV News Friday morning, noting the chance of snow is expected to diminish through the afternoon.
By 5 a.m. Friday, heavy snow was already falling and sticking at Cypress Mountain, with the snowfall starting about seven kilometres from the top of Cypress Bowl Road.
It’s the second snowfall of the season on the North Shore mountains. Snow also fell over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
“It’s a little bit earlier than normal. It is a bit unusual to see this type of snow even at the higher elevations in October. Normally we would see it more in November. But really it’s not unheard of,” Sekhon said.
The Garvey family, who moved to Vancouver from Australia this summer, arrived at Cypress Friday morning to pick up rental ski gear and were surprised by the snowy conditions.
“We were totally enchanted. We didn’t even expect it to be snowing and we were driving up and saw the snow falling on the car and we just pulled over and enjoyed the moment. Absolutely amazing,” Natasha Garvey said.
She is crossing her fingers the early snowfall may be a good sign for the upcoming ski season.
“We are excited. We could only have hoped it would be an abundant snowfall season and it looks like with an early start that it will be. So we are very excited,” Garvey added.
The Autumn snowfall is being caused by a modified Arctic airmass that’s affecting several parts of the province, including through the interior.
The snowfall is also being felt on some mountain passes Friday, with up to 20 centimetres expected on some B.C. highways.
Sekhon says through the weekend some areas of Metro Vancouver will be dry but “unseasonably cold”, with temperatures five to 10 degrees below normal.
Other areas will be hit by Arctic outflows this weekend.
“That will give cold temperatures and windy conditions,” Sekhon said. “It will feel quite blustery this weekend through the Fraser Valley and Howe Sound.”
