Another round of snowfall began over Metro Vancouver Thursday, just in time to turn the afternoon commute into a messy affair.
Earlier in the day, officials warned another blast of wintry weather could be headed for B.C.'s South Coast, saying some areas could even see freezing rain by Thursday night.
Environment Canada is forecasting much of Metro Vancouver and parts the Fraser Valley will see another 5-10 cm of fresh snowfall over the course of the day.
"Snow will develop later this afternoon and has potential to be fairly heavy around the early evening rush hour," the weather agency said in a statement. "Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations."
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Forecasters say arctic air is still lingering over the region, and should keep temperatures near the freezing mark overnight. Those conditions mixed with an onset of milder air could trigger rain that freezes on impact.
Environment Canada has warned Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack are all at risk of freezing rain late Thursday and into Friday morning, which could make for treacherous conditions on roads and sidewalks.
Meanwhile, some drivers are still struggling to deal with the leftover snow and ice from earlier this week, particularly those without snow tires.
Vancouver city crews have shifted their focus to clearing secondary routes such as street s and hills, plowing snow and laying salt. The city says hundreds of staff are working around the clock to clear the roads ahead of the next storm.
Police have been urging drivers to make sure they have snow tires, to clear the snow off their entire car before heading out, and to give the drivers in front of them extra room on the roads.
