Vancouver facing freezing temperatures

Over the years, the Lower Mainland’s winters have turned from snowy and festive to almost entirely rain. This doesn’t make people happy, seeing that no snowfall was even seen during Christmas and New Years’ season — but Mother Nature has made sure to compensate for this lack of festive weather by gifting Vancouver with extremely cold temperatures for the past few days.

Overnight on January 10th, all cities within Greater Vancouver received a surprising 15 to 25 cm of snow by late morning, causing transit traffic and slushy roads. Vancouver’s been known to have cold temperatures, but on January 13th temperatures dipped down to a chilly -7°. Since then, temperatures haven’t elevated and have stayed in the range of -8° to -7°. Going from moderate downpour to frosty temperatures in a matter of days, citizens are shocked and unprepared for this burst of cold, but there’s a few things you can do to be ready.

Waking up to layers of snow in the Greater Vancouver area, predominantly starting in the Burnaby subsector but now having reached out further, Lower Mainlanders are sure to realize the cold storm that’s swiftly attacking their area. To prepare for this, it’s best to be safe at all costs. This means winter tires on vehicles, warm clothes, and more.

Car accidents are a major risk while driving in snowy or icy terrain, as the number of crashes where people are injured within B.C. are nearly doubled going from fall to winter. Going further into the interior, temperatures can be even colder; meaning more danger on the roads, so it’s always good to go ahead and purchase winter tires as soon as possible for the chilly weather. As of 2018, approximately ¾ drivers in Canada have made sure to be ready with winter tires which is a major increase from 2016, when only 66 percent were using winter tires. Accidents have been such a likeness as of recent due to snowfall, that schools across Metro Vancouver have been cancelled.

The recent snowfall has also disrupted Translink across the Lower Mainland, causing delays, cancellations, and to say the least: the snow sure isn’t shy to enter the Translink premises without invitation.

Instead of wet floors, snow has forced its way onto the Canada Line today (January 15th) and found a comfy little home for the time being! Make sure to plan ahead with your trip because these Translink delays can easily make you late by ten, twenty, thirty minutes and even more.

With the sudden strike of snow flurrying through (Greater) Vancouver, there’s pros and cons. Parents may struggle getting to work, setting up plans for daycare or babysitters, and completing errands but children and teens are sure to enjoy the snow-day that school districts have granted them, leaving an extra day to do homework, projects, and to relax. The most important part of a winter season like this is to always be prepared and safe. Taking steps in order to be safe during the snow season is just as necessary as it is to have fun during these times. Stay safe, have fun, and remember to chill out.

Flickr / A. Davey