Snow falls overnight on B.C.'s Lower Mainland ahead of 'bomb cyclone'

There was snow in several parts of B.C.’s Lower Mainland overnight ahead of a “bomb cyclone” expected to bring heavy rain and intense winds to the region.

Some of the areas that experienced snowfall include Vancouver, Surrey, Coquitlam, Langley and Abbotsford.

Plows were called out to the Simon Fraser University campus on Burnaby Mountain, where a few centimetres of snow accumulated Monday night.

While the weather had transitioned to rain in most areas by the morning, DriveBC warned commuters that heavy snow continued on the Sea to Sky Highway through Lions Bay as of 5 a.m., resulting in some slippery conditions.

An overnight crash held up traffic on the Coquihalla Highway – which was the subject of a snowfall warning from Environment and Climate Change Canada on Monday – though officials have not said whether it was snow-related.

Cities have already started prepping for winter weather, including Surrey, which has 17,000 tonnes of salt and a fleet of 77 snow-clearing vehicles at the ready.

“With predictions of La Nina conditions potentially bringing increased precipitation this winter, the city is well-equipped to tackle adverse weather,” Mayor Brenda Locke’s office said in a news release.

Environment Canada forecasters have warned strong winds are expected on the South Coast from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, due to a “rapidly deepening low-pressure system” arriving off the coast of Vancouver Island.

The agency said the winds could down trees onto power lines and highways, causing power outages and disrupting travel plans.