Vancouver weather: Forecast sees heavy snow arriving in the evening

Most of B.C. was under weather warnings Saturday as a significant snowstorm approached.

Environment and Climate Change Canada's forecast for Vancouver called for light snow to begin in the early afternoon, with heavier precipitation arriving later in the day.

In the Lower Mainland, snowfall warnings called for 10 to 25 centimetres of total accumulation before the storm ends Sunday morning. At higher elevations, totals up to 30 centimetres are possible.

"For southern sections of Metro Vancouver, heavy snow is expected to transition to rain overnight with total snowfall amounts near 10 to 20 centimetres," reads Environment Canada's snowfall warning for the region.

In Vancouver, the record snowfall total for Feb. 25 since 1938 is just 3.6 centimetres, meaning Saturday's storm is likely to be a record-breaker. 

Municipal and provincial authorities spent much of the day Friday warning residents against non-essential travel and touting their preparations for the storm. 

The cold, dry conditions leading up to Saturday allowed city workers to get a head start on brining major routes and preparing salt and sand trucks.

Vancouver International Airport also announced its readiness for the storm, saying Friday that it had asked airlines to "ensure full towing capacity" in hopes of avoiding the hours-long waits on the tarmac experienced by some travellers during a major snowstorm the week before Christmas. 

Even the food delivery app DoorDash announced storm preparations, saying it had activated its "severe weather protocol" and would be halting deliveries in Metro Vancouver and several other communities on Saturday afternoon.