Snow incoming to North Shore Tuesday afternoon

Snow way!

Oh yes. Snow is expected to hit the North Shore Tuesday afternoon, with accumulations of between five and eight centimetres falling through the evening.

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Lower Mainland with northern sections of Metro Vancouver – including North Vancouver and West Vancouver – expected to receive the brunt of the storm. Higher elevations are expected to receive higher amounts.

Snow is expected to start falling as “wintery mix” of snow mixed with rain in the afternoon and grow heavier through the evening before changing to rain after midnight.

Just how much snow falls on the North Shore will depend on both elevation and how close different areas are to the water, said Armel Castellan, Environment Canada meteorologist.

Rush hour on the North Shore is likely to be messy Tuesday afternoon before temperatures warm up on Wednesday morning.

Although it feels like a late season blast of winter, snow at the end of February isn’t so unusual.

Last year at this time, there were 22 cm of snow on the ground on the North Shore as Metro Vancouver received an end-of-February dump.

Although incoming snow likely won’t cheer commuters, North Shore ski hills which have been struggling with a lack of snow during this El Nino winter are looking forward to a potential boost from Mother Nature.

"Cypress, Seymour and Grouse are poised to see a really solid amount of snow. It’s going to be one of the best moments of the season for them," said Castellan. “It's a bit of a blessing from a slippery-fun perspective."

Drivers heading further up the Sea-to-Sky Highway should note between 10 and 30 cm of snow could fall in Whistler between now and Wednesday.