Fraser Valley under snowfall warning as parts of B.C. wake up to season's first flurries

Snowfall warnings have been issued for the Fraser Valley, the Fraser Canyon as well as other regions in the province's interior on Saturday. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press - image credit)
Snowfall warnings have been issued for the Fraser Valley, the Fraser Canyon as well as other regions in the province's interior on Saturday. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press - image credit)

Snow has started to blanket parts of the Fraser Valley, the Fraser Canyon as well as other regions in the province's interior on Saturday, with up to 15 centimetres of snow expected to accumulate near mountain passes throughout the day, according to Environment Canada.

"Most of the snow fell this morning. We did get a report over higher terrain of Westwood Plateau of about six centimetres of snow," said metrologist Louis Kohanyi, "but most of the snow is over now."

He said a special weather statement has been issued for the Fraser Valley, the Fraser Canyon as well as other regions in the province's interior.

"We ended the special weather statement for Metro Vancouver, but we still have a snowfall warning for the Fraser Valley," said Kohanyi.

He said higher terrain and inland locations will see a total of two to four centimetres of wet snow and up to 15 cm on mountain pass highways like the Coquihalla.

"It is snowing on the Coquihalla but it's going to ease this afternoon," he told CBC News.

Drivers are being asked to use winter tires and follow travel advisories that are in place for areas such as Highway 3 through the interior.

The temperature is expected to drop below freezing tonight, he said, and more snow is expected for Sunday evening into Monday.

"Tonight we are looking at a few clouds and winds are going to be northwesterly 30 km/h gusting to 60 km/h and they're going to ease near midnight with a low of minus one," he said.