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Snow incoming to North Shore overnight Tuesday

Temperatures dipped to record-breaking lows of –12.8 C at the West Vancouver weather station on Friday
Jane Seyd
Jane Seyd
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Pedestrians walk in the snow along North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Avenue during a snow storm in February 2023. More snow is on the way this week. | Nick Laba / North Shore News

Look out North Shore.

We may be emerging from the weekend’s bone-chilling temperatures, but more snow is headed our way starting Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday.

Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan said up to 10 centimetres of snow could fall on parts of the North Shore starting overnight Tuesday.

The snow will likely continue into Wednesday and “15 centimetres isn’t out of the question,” said Castellan.

The snowfall warning comes as the North Shore smashed weather records for cold temperatures Friday and Saturday nights.

Record breaking low temperatures set

Friday night’s overnight low temperature at the West Vancouver weather station dropped to -12.8 C, about two degrees below the previous low record of -10.4 set in 1998. Saturday’s low of -12.4 degrees also broke a previous record of -7.2 set in 1993. Sunday’s low also broke records, despite the overnight low “warming up” to a relatively balmy –8.5.

Friday and Saturday also set records for lowest daytime high temperatures, with Friday’s high topping out at -6.5 degrees and Saturday’s climbing to just -5.4.

The unusually cold temperatures have been caused by a “polar vortex” of Arctic air pushing down from the North Pole across much of western North America, said Castellan.

Extremely cold temperatures across B.C. drove peak hourly electricity demand to a record high level on Friday night when it reached 11,300 megawatts. Previously, the record was 10,977 megawatts, set in December 2022.

Friday night’s consumption was more than 30 per cent higher than the previous Friday night before the cold snap began, and Saturday night’s peak hourly load remained high at nearly 11,000 megawatts, according to BC Hydro.

Flurries could continue through Thursday night

Following the snowfall expected Tuesday and Wednesday this week, flurries could continue through Thursday evening before temperatures warm up, bringing rain to the North Shore, said Castellan.

Temperatures should return to seasonal normals during the last 10 days of January, said Castellan.