Up to 15 centimetres of snow is forecast for Nanaimo on Monday, with strong winds forecast for the afternoon. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

SNOW DAY

First snowfall of the season transforms Nanaimo into winter wonderland

Dec 21, 2020 | 9:25 AM

NANAIMO — It is forecast to be short-lived, but the winter’s first snow storm has hit.

Environment Canada issued both snowfall and wind warnings Monday, Dec. 21 for most sections of Vancouver Island, including Nanaimo and Oceanside.

Meterologist Armel Castellan said the system was very strange with very little cold weather in the days and weeks before the storm, preconditioning the area for snow.

“We’re starting off with temperatures just above zero, not below but it’s really those precipitation intensities that are lowering the freezing level and that’s why we’re seeing accumulating snow.”

Up to 15 centimetres are expected through the morning hours before tapering off in the afternoon.

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The City of Nanaimo had plows and salters on area roads after 8:00 a.m. Monday morning when rain turned to snow, with the focus on priority routes including transit and around the hospital.

No impact to operations was reported by the Regional District of Nanaimo as of Monday morning.

Mainroad Contracting said they have crews on area highways across the Island, with equipment mobilized from the Port Alberni, Nanaimo and Parksville yards.

Extra equipment was also brought down from the north Island where snowfall amounts are minimal.

Commuter traffic was slow but otherwise unaffected with varied levels of snow across the city, depending on elevation.

Little snow had accumulated downtown Nanaimo Monday morning, despite more snow sticking elsewhere in the city. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

“You’re going to see that extreme variation just with a few dozen of metres in elevation,” Castellan said.

Nanaimo RCMP reported Monday morning driving conditions had become treacherous in various parts of the city. Police had Rutherford Rd. closed to traffic at points Monday morning.

Wires were also reported down south of Nanaimo, causing power outages in Cassidy, Yellow Point and Ladysmith. Separate outages were also affecting customers in Nanoose and Parksville.

The source of the storm is a low pressure system moving in from the Pacific, crossing over Washington state Monday morning before moving to the north east.

While the snow is forecast to dissipate by Monday afternoon, strong winds should replace it.

Environment Canada expects winds upwards of 70 to 90 kilometres per hour over exposed coastal sections.

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