Heavy, wet snow and high winds forecast for Vancouver Island

Heavy snowfalls and high winds are once again in the forecast for much of Vancouver Island as Environment Canada issued a new round of weather warnings Friday.

The weather office says up to 15 centimetres of wet snow could accumulate on much of the island, including Greater Victoria, the Malahat highway, Lake Cowichan, Duncan, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Comox, Courtenay and Port Alberni.

Light snow is in the forecast for Friday morning but the heaviest snowfall is expected to occur around the rush-hour commute and in areas at elevations at or above 150 metres, forecasters warned.

"The snow level will rise to near the Malahat highway summit level tonight," Environment Canada said in its snowfall warning. "Travellers are advised to be wary of changing road conditions due to the change from snow to rain."

The weather agency also issued wind warnings for Greater Victoria Friday.

Strong southeast winds of 70 km/h gusting up to 90 km/h are predicted for the eastern entrance of Juan de Fuca Strait and southern sections of Haro Strait.

Power outages and property damage from broken tree limbs and other debris are possible Friday afternoon and into the evening.

As the low-pressure system moves out of the region, the winds will ease to 20 km/h gusting to 40 km/h around midnight, Environment Canada said.

The storm system follows Tuesday's snowstorm which left thousands of Vancouver Islanders without power, brought dangerous driving conditions to the region's roadways and cancelled school for tens of thousands of students on Wednesday.