If Tuesday’s snowfall seemed to be out of the ordinary, it was.
The total, as measured at Victoria International Airport, was 29.3 centimetres — well above the previous record of 11.8 centimetres for Dec. 20, set in 2013. Of course, it didn’t beat the overall one-day record of 64.5 centimetres on Dec. 29, 1996 during the region’s blizzard of the century.
Snow and ice pellets are forecast for tonight, maybe two to four centimetres.
With such a large volume of snow, Environment Canada meteorologist Trevor Smith said Greater Victoria could have a white Christmas, even though rain and warmer temperatures are predicted for the weekend. “There’s so much snow on the ground, I don’t think it will have all melted.” While warmer days are on the way — and with them, an ugly thaw — “we’ll have to go through hell before we get to heaven,” he said.
A rush of arctic air arrived Wednesday — the official first day of winter — with winds of 50 kilometres per hour gusting to 70 expected.
The overnight low could get to -10 C, or -22 C with the wind chill factor.
This morning’s temperature is expected to be about -5 C, which could feel like -20 C with the wind chill, Smith said.
A series of weather systems is expected to approach the capital region Thursday afternoon, with more snow beginning overnight tonight into Friday morning in Victoria and on the south Island, Smith said. “Friday will be a real mess with a mix of snow and freezing rain.”
Snow accumulations are expected to be anywhere from five to 15 centimetres, he said, with a complete transition to rain by Friday afternoon or evening.
Christmas Eve day on Saturday is expected to bring more rain and a high of 9 C, followed by a good chance of rain and a high of 8 C on Christmas Day.
Smith said most parts of Greater Victoria, along with Shawnigan Lake and the Malahat, saw 30 to 35 centimetres of snow on Monday and Tuesday, but accumulations were lower on the north Island, dropping to about 12 cm in Comox and little or nothing in Port Hardy.
“There was a very strong gradient from north to south,” Smith said.
B.C. Ferries had to deal with a number of weather-related issues Wednesday morning, including a frozen throttle on the Queen of Oak Bay’s rescue boat that led to cancellations of the 6:15 a.m. sailing out of Horseshoe Bay and the 8:25 a.m. sailing out of Departure Bay.
Sailings between Brentwood Bay and Mill Bay were called off in the morning due to conditions at the terminals and on area roads before resuming at 1:15 p.m.
“Over the next couple of days we are asking people to please check our website before they head out,” said B.C. Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall. “Our crews are doing their best to keep terminals clear, but sometimes the roads to get to the terminals can be a challenge and it’s a challenge for our staff to get there, as well.”
Some sailings were delayed or cancelled Wednesday because crew members had trouble getting to their assigned ferries.
At the approach to Swartz Bay on Wednesday afternoon, there was a long line of vehicles waiting to enter the terminal grounds. B.C. Ferries blamed uncleared snow that limited highway access outside Swartz Bay terminal. It advised travellers to arrive early for sailings for the rest of the evening.
Some departures were delayed because of heavy traffic and slow loading due to the weather conditions. Many ferries were full or close to full.
Just under half of B.C. Transit’s 57 bus routes had returned to service by late Wednesday afternoon, although spokesperson Tessa Humphries advised customers that posted schedules were not yet being followed.
B.C. Transit is posting service updates on its website. Buses can be tracked using B.C. Transit's NextRide service.
Jeff Bray, chief executive of the Victoria Downtown Business Association, said the severity of the storm caught many by surprise. Some businesses did not open on Tuesday. Some staff could not get downtown, particularly with bus service curtailed.
More people were downtown on Wednesday than the day before, he said, “but certainly not the kind of volume that one would normally expect a couple of days out from Christmas.”
Bray speculated that next week may be busier than usual, which might help offset this week’s setback.
Police throughout the region warned of slippery roads on Wednesday, with vehicles getting stuck or spinning out of control.
West Shore RCMP Cpl. Nancy Saggar said a number of smaller cars were getting stuck Wednesday as they made turns or tried to get in and out parking lots, while the hill on Wale Road on its approach to Sooke Road was “kind of a disaster zone” with drivers not able to make it to the top.
In some cases, their tires are not good enough for the snow and ice, Saggar said. “Some of them actually got stuck trying to turn around because the person in front of them got stuck.”
The intersections of Phipps Road/McCallum Road and Phipps Road/Langford Parkway were also a challenge for drivers because of ice and compacted snow, she said.
Saggar said a number of minor collisions occurred “in slow motion” because vehicles drifted on slippery surfaces.
In Sooke, RCMP Sgt. Kevin Shaw said Wednesday that most major roads in the area were “clean and passable” and few traffic issues had come up through early afternoon, except for a vehicle struck in a ditch near Jordan River.
“Everybody’s driving slowly and carefully,” he said.
Saanich police said icy roads were challenging drivers Wednesday and officers were using only the four-wheel drive vehicles in the department’s fleet to patrol the municipality.
“They are even having difficulties, especially on the Pat Bay Highway,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades. “There are very slippery conditions.”
He said a truck spun out on the highway near Elk Lake about 7:30 a.m. “It took down some live power lines.”
The officer who responded said the truck had been sliding all the way along the highway, Anastasiades said.
He reminded drivers to allow extra time for travel and to use proper winter tires.
The University of Victoria and Camosun College remained closed Wednesday. Royal Roads University kept its library and recreation centre closed, while its Habitat Cafe was open until 1 p.m.
A candlelight vigil planned Wednesday to mark the National Memorial Day for Persons Experiencing Homelessness was changed from an in-person event at Reeson Park on Wharf Street to an online event due to the weather.
jbell@timescolonist.com
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