Friday, February 1, 2019 ~ SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND.
~ West Shore Voice News
Snowfall of 2 cm to 4 cm is being called a weather event for the south island area this coming weekend. Late Saturday night February 2 or into Sunday February 3 there will be enough cold and enough moisture to bring snow, say weather forecasters.
This comes following a relatively mild first half of winter. The transition to much colder conditions will begin Saturday night over the South Coast, says Environment Canada in a special weather statement for Greater Victoria.
“Cold Arctic air is currently pushing southwards across the interior of the province and is expected to arrive by early Sunday. The cold air will persist into the latter half of next week. Temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees below seasonal averages, making for the coldest conditions seen this season,” says Environment Canada.
“Arctic outflow winds crossing the Strait of Georgia will create the potential for snow squalls reaching the eastern side of Vancouver Island on Sunday. These snow squalls tend to be localized but could nevertheless produce significant snowfall for sections of East Vancouver Island. There remains uncertainty with regards to the location and snowfall accumulations so please monitor forecasts and alerts,” says Environment Canada.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #BCStorm.
Mainroad South Island will be applying anti-icing material on all highways until the event passes. Their attention to the roads will continue until roadways are clear and back to normal.
Mainroad South Island handles highways (non-municipal) roadway condition maintenance in the areas of Malahat, Sooke, Victoria, Langford and Duncan. That includes Highway 1, Highway 14, and Highway 18. Highway conditions may be reported to 1-877-391-7310.
Power outages can occur not just from trees blowing onto lines and equipment during windstorms, but if vehicles slip on icy roads and impact any utility equipment with the outcome of damage to lines or other equipment.
In the event of a power outage, be prepared! Juan de Fuca Emergency Coordinator Jeri Grant recommends having a seven-day supply of all necessities in the case of very bad storms and extended outages.
- Power Outage lists are regularly updated at www.bchydro.com