Snow possible in Metro Vancouver, special weather statement warns

A man stands outside a brightly painted building as snow falls in Vancouver, on Sunday Feb. 10, 2019. (Darryl Dyck / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Vancouver -

Metro Vancouver might be hit with a blast of winter weather to start the week, with as much as 10 centimetres of snow possible in some areas.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement Monday morning saying the region could see snowfall starting in the evening and lasting through Tuesday morning.

"A cold and unstable airmass over the coast may bring some wintery conditions to the Lower Mainland," Environment Canada's advisory said.

"Showery weather with snow levels hovering around 300 metres is forecast tonight. As a result, higher elevations, and the Fraser Valley could see higher accumulations of snow tonight to Tuesday morning."

The alert is in place for Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, the North Shore, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Surrey, Langley, Richmond and Delta.

Between two and 10 centimetres is expected to accumulate, Environment Canada's forecast said.

'INTENSE BANDS OF SNOW'

Some highways connecting the Lower Mainland to B.C.'s Interior could see more intense snowfall, Environment Canada warned in a separate weather statement for the Coquihalla Highway and Highway 3.

"A low pressure centre will develop over B.C. southern Interior. Combined with the unstable airmass in place, there is potential for intense bands of snow to develop in the regions listed above," the warning said.

"Snowfall amounts are expected to be mostly from five to 10 centimetres, although amounts will vary across the region."

With the Coquihalla still closed due to damage from November's storms, drivers taking Highway 3 for essential travel have been warned to keep others informed of their schedule and destination and to carry an emergency kit and phone, as weather in the mountains can change suddenly. 

Over the weekend, that highway route was closed multiple times due to several vehicle incidents and what DriveBC said was "extremely poor driving conditions."

On Saturday, the CEO of the Women's Trucking Federation of Canada told CTV News out-of-province truckers who aren't trained in mountain driving have been having trouble with Highway 3.

"It’s very bendy and windy, the grades, it's much more difficult than the travel on, say, the Coquihalla for instance," said Shelley Walker, adding that Highway 3 also lacks places to pull over, if needed, during a snowstorm.

MORE SNOW AHEAD?

Later on in the week, Vancouver might see more flurries. On Wednesday, the city is expected to see rain, though periods of snow may return overnight. On Thursday, a break in precipitation is predicted, with a mix of sun and cloud.

But heading into the weekend, the chance of flurries is back again. Starting overnight Friday and continuing on Saturday and Sunday, Environment Canada's forecast predicts periods of rain or snow.