Vancouver’s snow-free run could end as late-winter warnings issued in southwest B.C.

VICTORIA — Snow is expected to make a late-winter visit to southwestern British Columbia, with Environment Canada issuing a special weather statements for much of Vancouver Island.

The weather agency has also issued a statement for Metro Vancouver, warning of possible snow set to disrupt commutes.

Vancouver has yet to record a measurable snowfall involving at least one centimetre of accumulation at the city’s airport this winter.

The provincial Transportation Ministry is warning drivers to make sure they have winter tires as up to eight centimetres is possible in higher elevations of the Lower Mainland by Wednesday.

The special weather advisory for Greater Victoria says up to four centimetres is possible on Tuesday and Wednesday for areas near sea level with more coming in higher terrain including inland areas of Vancouver Island and the North Shore on the Mainland.

The Sea to Sky Highway north of Squamish and Whistler is forecast to receive five to 15 centimetres by Tuesday evening.

A snowfall warning of up to 20 centimetres is active on the Coquihalla Highway, where crashes on Sunday reduced the road to single-lane traffic in both directions and the RCMP recommended against its use.

The snowfall comes in light of a cool and unstable airmass passing over B.C., which also brought gusts reaching 98 kilometres an hour in Hope, 89 in Lytton and Smithers, and 81 kilometres in Kelowna and Dawson Creek.

Vancouver has been waiting for its first official snowfall, and if nothing arrives, it would be the first time the city had gone snow-free since the winter of 1982-83.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2026.