The City of Vancouver is in full snow response mode with up with more snow expected to fall Tuesday.
“Staff and equipment are concentrating on priority routes, which include main roads, bus routes, bridges, priority hills and the 15 most-used bike routes,” the City said in an information bulletin sent out Tuesday morning. “Since Sunday, crews have been pre-treating priority routes in anticipation of possible snow.”
Our plow and salt trucks are busy this morning deploying across the city as snow comes down. Our focus is on all main routes. Please drive for the conditions and give trucks plenty of space. pic.twitter.com/Yeq99pwOab
— City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) February 4, 2020
The region is under a snowfall warning with accumulations of between five and 20 centimetres of heavy, wet snow expected.
According to Environment Canada: “The highest amounts are expected over the northern and inland sections of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley where snow will persist the longest, until tonight or Wednesday morning.”
The forecast is calling for warmer air to hit the southwestern sections of Metro Vancouver this afternoon or evening, turning the snow to rain.
“Precipitation should be rain everywhere across the south coast lowlands by Wednesday as a flow of milder Pacific air returns.”
The snowfall warning is in effect for:
- Metro Vancouver - central including Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster
- Metro Vancouver - North Shore including West Vancouver and North Vancouver
- Metro Vancouver - northeast including Coquitlam and Maple Ridge
- Metro Vancouver - southeast including Surrey and Langley
- Metro Vancouver - southwest including Richmond and Delta
In response to the predicted extreme weather, the city has opened four warming centres and is encouraging anyone who might be sleeping outside to visit one. People are allowed to bring carts and pets into the warming centres.
The City said that so far this winter, the warming centres have been visited on more than 4,500 occasions.
Additional shelter spaces are also open Tuesday and Wednesday.
Warming centre locations:
Additional shelter spaces:
