ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – Snow is sticking around parts of the Lower Mainland, leaving conditions which could make for a dicey Tuesday morning and afternoon on the roads.
Meteorologist Russ Lacate says accumulations could range between five and 20 centimetres in some parts of the Lower Mainland.
“I suspect it’ll continue to snow through the end of the morning, it’ll snow pretty much all of this afternoon, it’s going to snow into the evening, though that last statement, that applies to areas away from the shoreline because we’ll start to see some rain mixing in for the west side of Metro Vancouver,” Russ explains. “Areas along the Sea Wall, parts of Richmond and Steveston and Tsawwassen and Ladner — those areas will see some rain mixing in by the end of the afternoon, limiting your snowfall accumulation to maybe five centimetres.”
#OneMinuteWeather breaks down the gory details of todays #BCSnow #Warning and what comes next. Live updates all morning on @NEWS1130 & @BT_Vancouver pic.twitter.com/eNFBYb4Ixs
— Russ Lacate (@NEWS1130Weather) February 4, 2020
That’s at the bottom end of the scale, though, Russ notes.
“Upper end of the scale? Probably more like 15 or 20 cm where the cold air is locked in,” he explains. “That’s away from the shoreline, that’s over higher terrain, and that’s all those inland routes through the Fraser Valley snowing for the next several hours. Once we get later into this evening, that’s when the phase change occurs completely, and all precipitation starts turning to rain. The temperature’s barely above zero tonight, but it will be in the rain overnight, and that leads us into a wet Wednesday.”
After last month’s snow woes, snow building up on the ground again is what’s really catching commuters’ ears.
The advice going around: give yourself extra time getting where you need to go.
“That’s the only option, that’s in my hand,” Pushpa tells NEWS 1130. “I cannot control snow, I cannot other stuff… so I get ready a little bit early.”
Last month’s storm wreaked havoc on the region’s roads and transit systems. The weather was so bad at times Highway 1 had to be shut down through Abbotsford and Chilliwack due to whiteout conditions.
The January storm, which blanketed the region with snow, triggered unusual advisories from the province and pleas from police as well as city officials for people to avoid going out around the Lower Mainland unless it was absolutely necessary.
City crews and TransLink say they’re prepared for whatever hits, but people are being told to expect some delays.
#SkyTrain Due to inclement weather this morning, Millennium Line is operating with 4 car trains to increase capacity but reduced frequency. Please allow extra time for your commute today if possible. ^sp
— TransLink BC (@TransLink) February 4, 2020
Meanwhile, some road maintenance workers and even commuters say conditions on Lower Mainland routes have mostly been pretty good.
Real Charrois with Main Road Group explains there haven’t been any major weather-related incidents to start Tuesday.
“If temperatures do drop we may see some accumulations, but right now the staff are in patrol mode, so the trucks are salted up and ready to go in case they see any sort of accumulations,” Charrois says. “Plows are on and we’re just patrolling the areas to make sure traffic can get around.”
While the weather hasn’t been severe enough to force schools to close up shop for the day, Simon Fraser University has cancelled all classes, exams, activities, and services for the day on Tuesday due to the weather.
You’re being reminded to drive for conditions and ensure you have the proper tires.
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Make sure to also follow meteorologists Russ Lacate and Michael Kuss on Twitter for the latest on the weather conditions. Catch their reports every 10 minutes after traffic.
-With files from Bailey Nicholson, Kathryn Tindale, and Paul James