Residents surprised by afternoon snowfall in Vancouver area

A sudden blast of winter took people by surprise Wednesday afternoon, with snow blanketing higher elevations like Burnaby Mountain.

A sudden blast of winter weather in the Vancouver area caught many drivers and pedestrians off guard Wednesday afternoon.

While most of the snow quickly melted, there was some accumulation at higher elevations in the region—including parts of the North Shore and Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus.

In Vancouver, freezing rain, hail and sleet prompted a warning from Mayor Ken Sim.

“Please be careful if you are walking or driving this afternoon,” Sim wrote on social media. “If you are heading out, give yourself additional time and be sure to look out for one another. Stay safe, Vancouver!”

The conditions have not prompted any weather alerts from Environment and Climate Change Canada, which has lifted previous snowfall warnings that were issued for parts of the Lower Mainland this week.

Meteorologist Bobby Sekhon told CTV News the snow was the result of an “upper level disturbance” that blew over the region, and was not entirely unexpected.

“It gave some intense precipitation over Metro Vancouver, and that dragged the snow levels down to the point where we saw wet snow even in the lower elevations,” Sekhon said.

That included outside Vancouver City Hall.

While forecasters are not anticipating widespread issues related to the snow, Sekhon said the conditions are a “good reminder” of what season it is.

“We are still in winter,” he said. “These bursts of wet flurries can happen from time to time when there’s enough cold air around and precipitation.”

Drivers should stay prepared with appropriate tires and an emergency kit, and always adjust to the conditions, Sekhon added.

A spokesperson for SFU said the university was expecting approximately two centimetres of snow Wednesday afternoon, and had no plans to cancel classes Thursday.

“In the event of heavy overnight snow, university leaders will meet early in the morning to consider the road conditions, transit and major roadway impact for all campuses,” the spokesperson said in an email.

Should conditions drastically change, students will be informed by 6 a.m., the spokesperson added.