After record rainfall through January, Nanaimo saw another blanket of snow hit the region on Tuesday. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Brief wintery burst hits Nanaimo, Vancouver Island

Feb 3, 2020 | 11:45 PM

NANAIMO — Two days removed from Van Isle Violet predicting a long winter on Sunday’s Groundhog Day, Mother Nature has obliged.

Environment Canada upgraded their initial special weather statement to a snowfall warning Tuesday morning, forecasting five to 20 centimetres of snow to fall in Nanaimo and eastern Vancouver Island as a front from the Pacific meets with cooler air.

Meteorologist Armel Castellan told NanaimoNewsNOW the snowfall may cause some travel headaches in the morning hours.

“It’s going to be very dependant on the terrain,” Castellan said. “Lowest elevations in Nanaimo may just see a rain snow mix the entire way with the exception of an intense burst of snow will drop that freezing level temporarily.”

The snowfall did not interrupt many services, with schools open and buses running as normal. Many roads through the city were bare, or with minor wet slush.

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Both Helijet and Harbour Air flights were either grounded or delayed Tuesday morning as visibility was poor throughout the region.

The impacts of the storm are expected to be short-lived with a warming to follow.

“Throughout the afternoon tomorrow a lot of locations will shift over to that rain mixed with snow. By the evening and into Wednesday, things will totally shift to rain and lighten up quite a lot followed by more rain Thursday,” Castellan said.

Forecasts suggest the snow will melt quickly with more stable and brighter weather to follow next week.

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