Snow
Some snow falls in the higher-lying areas of Greater Vancouver, such as Burnaby Mountain, Coquitlam, and North and West Vancouver, every winter. It is less common in places close to or at sea level and, on occasion, there has been little trace of snow. There is a general misconception among visitors and residents of other parts of Canada that Vancouver does not receive any snow at all, but in fact there has never been a winter in which traceable snow has not been observed at Vancouver International Airport. Environment Canada has ranked Vancouver in 3rd place under the category of “Lowest Snowfall” among 100 major Canadian cities. Interestingly, Vancouver’s coastal climate has also allowed it to be ranked in 59th place under the category of “Most huge snowfall days (25 cm or more)”, placing it well above cities like Calgary and Toronto.
Snow in Vancouver tends to be quite wet, which, combined with typical winter temperatures rising above and falling below 0 °C (32 °F) throughout the course of the day, can make for unusually slippery road conditions. Rain and sleet are almost interchangeable especially among higher elevations of the city.
Years or months with snowfall surpassing 100 cm (39.3 in) are not completely exceptional. Snowfall exceeding 100 cm occurred twice during the 1990s, and, in January 1972 alone, there was more than 120 cm (47.2 in) of snow. The snowiest year on record at Vancouver International Airport was 1971, which received a total of 242.6 cm (95.5 in), and the greatest snow depth reported was 61 cm (24 in) on January 15 of that year.
Although the 30 cm to 60 cm (11.8 to 23.6 in) which fell across Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland in a 24 hour period in November 2006 was out of the ordinary, snow has in fact accumulated at sea level in all months except for June, July, and August. However, even small amounts of snow in the Vancouver area can cause school closures, as well as produce massive traffic problems. Snowfall levels considered routine or mild in other parts of Canada can be relatively catastrophic in Vancouver. Furthermore, the low frequency of snowfall makes it hard to justify the public works infrastructure necessary for more effective snow removal, as the city is usually in a thaw situation long before plowing of streets are completed. The City budgets CA$400,000 per year for the maintenance of snow removal equipment, for the purchasing of deicing salt, and for the training of staff, but the costs of actual snow removal are funded separately from contingency reserve funds, and vary widely from season to season. For example, $1.1 million was spent in 1998, compared to $0 in 2001.[6] Blizzards are rare but can incapacitate much of the Lower Mainland. One in 1996 resulted in over 60 cm (23.6 in) of snow in Vancouver and was responsible for millions of dollars in damage.
According to Environment Canada, Vancouver typically has a 11% chance of a White Christmas. The most recent White Christmas occurred in 2008 after weeks of record breaking cold temperatures and four consecutive snow storms left over 60 cm of snow on the ground across Metro Vancouver. New snow also accumulated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day giving it the title for Canada’s whitest Christmas in 2008 with 41 cm on ground (48 cm at one point on Christmas Eve). Snow was also measured in the preceding year of 2007 where 1 cm was observed in the Vancouver International Airport. The previous official White Christmas occurred in 1998 when 20 cm of snow was on the ground on Christmas Day following 31 cm of snow and 20 mm of rain.
Severe weather
Wind storms are not uncommon during the autumn months in Greater Vancouver. Three wind storms in the city’s history have knocked down large swathes of trees in the forest of Stanley Park, the first having occurred in October 1934, with a blizzard the following January compounding its impact.[7] The second wind storm to hit Stanley Park was the remnant of Typhoon Freda in 1962 that levelled a 6-acre (24,000 m2) tract of forest. This is now site of the park’s miniature railroad.[8]
Fall-winter 2006 storms
In November 2006, the Greater Vancouver region experienced above-average levels of rainfall and snowfall, breaking the previously established record of 18.1 cm (7.15 in) when 25.5 cm (10.07 in) of rain fell within the first 16 days of the month.[9] The heavy rain washed sediment into the city’s reservoirs, and, as result, many businesses were advised to stop serving beverages prepared from tap water due to water contamination.
28 cm (11 in) of snow was recorded at Vancouver International Airport from the night of November 25 to the morning of November 27. The temperature dropped to −12 °C (10.4 °F) on November 28, 1.8 degrees[vague] higher than the record low for the day, which was set in November 1985. In comparison, the day-time high in Toronto on November 28, 2006 was 16.1 °C (60.9 °F).[10] 10 cm (3.9 in) more snow fell on the city on November 29. The snowfall resulted in the closure of a number of public institutions and caused power outages throughout Surrey and Langley.
The Hanukkah Eve Wind Storm of 2006 swept through Greater Vancouver on December 15, 2006 with winds reaching up to 70 km/h to 125 km/h. In Stanley Park, it damaged or uprooted over 5,000 trees, caused mudslides, one of which destroyed a section of the seawall.[11][12] Insured damages throughout the province are expected to reach CA$40 million and repairs to Stanley Park are expected to cost $9 million.
