'Bring it on': Vancouver Islanders prepare for up to 10 cm of snow

With mixed feelings, it appears the first sign of winter is here. In downtown Victoria, snow began to fall early Monday morning.

"It’s coming, we’re getting ready for it," said one man as he was spreading ice-melt on a parking lot on Pandora Street.

At the top of the Malahat, commuters were observing the snowfall.

"It always comes with a little bit of surprise," said Yusuf Nasihi as he pulled over on the Malahat Summit for a picture.

"It’s got a bit of a mystical aura to it, so I guess it’s a bit enchanting," said Bader Said, a friend of Nasihi.

Snow was also falling in Duncan.

"We’re ready, bring it on," said resident Garry Durham.

Like it or not, snowfall warnings are in effect for eastern Vancouver Island and Greater Victoria on Monday. Five to 10 centimetres of snow could fall over the next 24 hours, according to Environment Canada.

"Especially this evening, into the overnight and possibly into Tuesday morning," said Bobby Sekhon, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Snowflakes fall on a pair of pedestrians in downtown Victoria. Nov. 7, 2022 (CTV News)

'TIME TO BE READY'

With snow in the forecast, salt, shovels and sleds are flying off the shelves at Home Hardware in Duncan.

"We just can’t keep-up with it," said Gary Boake, an employee at Home Hardware.

"Now is the time to be ready for whatever you think might hit," he said.

Boake has worked at the Home Hardware for 19 years. He says this year has been an unusual one at the store.

With stronger storms becoming more frequent, customers' shopping habits have changed.

"We have even sold snow blowers, which is rare in this area," said Boake.

Solar panels, generators, all products that usually sit around for a season, are now leaving the store in record numbers.

Road contractors are also keeping busy, with the Malahat forecasted to receive up to 10 centimetres of snow.

"We’ve been pre-treating the roads with a saltwater brine solution," said Andrew Gatez, operations manager of EMCON South Island Division.

EMCON has ramped-up staffing in preparation for the winter season, giving the road maintenance company 24-hour coverage in its service area, including the Malahat.

"In a snowstorm where we have heavy to extreme snowfall, we’ll have all units deployed," said Gatez.