ENVIRONMENT Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Metro Vancouver with total amounts of 10 to 20 cm is expected.
A favourable setup for widespread low elevation snow over the south coast is shaping up for Tuesday and Tuesday night. A front will track down the BC coast beginning Tuesday morning and combine with a cool air mass to produce snow across the lowlands.
Snowfall amounts will vary significantly across the region. The air will be cool, but not truly Arctic, so snowfall amounts will vary with proximity to the water, elevation and intensity of precipitation.
Anywhere from 5 to 20 cm of heavy, wet snow is expected. The highest amounts are expected over the northern and inland sections of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley where the snow will persist the longest, until Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.
Warmer air will arrive faster over Sunshine Coast and the southwestern sections of Metro Vancouver and the transition to rain there will start Tuesday afternoon or evening.
Precipitation should be rain everywhere across the south coast lowlands by Wednesday as a flow of milder Pacific air returns.
Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. There may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas.