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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is going on with Bill C-11, the government's online streaming legislation?
The Liberals have spent years trying to pass online streaming legislation and now the current iteration, known as Bill C-11, is closer than ever to passing. With a potential parliamentary showdown ahead, here's what you need to know about how the contentious Broadcasting Act bill got to this stage.

Canadian government posts $3.6 billion deficit between April and November
The federal government posted a budgetary deficit of $3.6 billion in the first eight months of the fiscal year.
Bear on Mars? NASA satellite snaps a strange formation
What looks like a giant teddy bear’s face peering into space from the surface of Mars is actually a satellite image of some craters and a circular fracture, scientists say.
Mandatory minimum penalty for firing gun at house unconstitutional: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a mandatory minimum sentence of four years for firing a gun at a house is unconstitutional.
Pierre Poilievre tells Tory caucus cities are turning into 'crime zones'
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre doubled down on his belief that "everything feels broken" Friday, as he laced into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for suggesting otherwise.
Thousands of Maritimers still without power after Thursday storm
Thursday’s wet and windy storm has knocked out power to thousands of people in the Maritimes, most of which are in Nova Scotia.
RCMP warn of potential weekend highway delays near Coutts, Alta. during protest convoy
Freedom rally supporters are expected to congregate near the southern Alberta border town of Coutts on Saturday and RCMP officials say motorists in the area should expect to face highway delays.
Russian warship armed with advanced missiles sails into western Atlantic in strategic 'chess game'
In an unusual move, the Russian Defence Ministry broadcast that one of its newest warships, the Admiral Gorshkov, had tested the strike capabilities of a hypersonic Zircon missile in a virtual drill.
WHO emergency declaration call based on virus spread and variants, Dr. Bogoch explains
The World Health Organization (WHO) is set to decide Friday, whether the COVID-19 pandemic still qualifies for an international emergency declaration title— a decision that will involve factoring in how the virus and its variants are impacting countries around the world, says an infectious disease expert.