NANOOSE BAY, B.C- Snow and cold is coming for eastern Vancouver Island.
According to Environment Canada, snow squalls bringing five to 15 centimetres of snow are expected from Fanny Bay to Nanoose Bay today, due to Arctic outflow winds crossing the Strait of Georgia.
The squalls are forecast to go throughout the day on Sunday and into the night. They are expected to be localized, but could produce significant snowfall for sections of the island’s eastern coast between Nanaimo and Qualicum Beach.
Drivers should prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions.
Rapidly accumulating snow will make travel difficult. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.
The forecast from Campbell River to the Comox Valley remains unchanged as of this publication, with flurries are expected today in the amount of two centimetres and a high of -1.
However, it is expected to get much colder overnight, with winds picking up near midnight. The low will be -7 in the evening, with a windchill of -7. That’s expected to drop to -14 overnight.
On Monday between Campbell River and the Comox Valley, the windchill is expected to be -13 in the morning and -5 in the afternoon.
Over on the Sunshine Coast, temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees below seasonal average, making for the coldest conditions so far this season. Additionally, winds will give blustery conditions in exposed areas near the mainland inlets through Monday.
Some snow is expected, with snowfall accumulations of one to five centimetres, and up to ten centimetres in Howe Sound but uncertainty continues about where bands of snow will develop due to the instability of the airmass and where convergent winds will happen.
