Vancouver Weather: City Dodges Heavy Snowfall, Snow Shuts Down Fraser Valley Schools
Last week, winter decided to show its strength in Eastern Canada, with multiple cities experiencing freezing rain and snow. Now southern British Columbia is receiving a cold spell of its own.
Over the past couple of days, Metro Vancouver has experienced a mix of sun, rain and snow.
The Globe & Mail reported that approximately 10 to 20 centimetres of snow fell in the Lower Mainland on Monday, causing havoc on roads around Metro Vancouver. Overturned cars and multiple fender benders were reported, according to CTV.
“The conditions are extremely treacherous, and a large number of vehicles are going off the road,” RCMP spokesman Sergeant Peter Thiessen told The Globe about the TransCanada Highway.
While heavy snow failed to hit Vancouver on Monday night, The Vancouver Sun warns a dump is expected over the next few days, along with relatively cold weather. However, temperatures in the city are expected to climb later in the week, with highs of 3 C on Friday and 6 C on Saturday.
The Fraser Valley, just east of Vancouver, wasn't so lucky. Strong winds, combined with snowfall, have caused a number of schools in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Mission to close for the day, according to the CBC. The University of the Fraser Valley has also been shut down. Similarly, part of Highway 3 was closed in the morning due to conditions caused by the storm.
The valley is expected to get an additional 5 to 10 centimetres of snow, according to Environment Canada. The organization has also issued a variety of warnings for parts of British Columbia, including alerts regarding snowfall and wind chill.
But winter might hit the hardest south of the border, where Seattle could receive up to 23 centimetres of snow.The storm could potentially turn into one of the city’s worst in more than 20 years, according to Bloomberg.
“It will be snowing everywhere on Wednesday. Not showers, but heavy, widespread snowfall all day," National Weather Service’s Chris Burke told The Seattle Times.
SLIDESHOW: BRITISH COLUMBIANS TWEET ABOUT THE WEATHER
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The Huffington Post Canada Ilan Mester First Posted: 01/17/12 04:24 PM ET Updated: 01/17/12 04:51 PM ET