VANCOUVER -- Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for Greater Victoria and most of the rest of Vancouver Island Sunday morning as a second storm system made its way through.
As much as 25 centimetres of snow fell in some parts of the island Friday night and through the day Saturday, and Environment Canada's warning calls for another five to 10 centimetres on Sunday.
Snow is expected to change over to rain in Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands Sunday evening, but elsewhere on the Island the transition to rain is forecasted to happen later, according to the federal weather agency.
Environment Canada specifically called out driving conditions on the Malahat Highway between Goldstream and Mill Bay, saying "a long period of snowfall" with accumulations of 15 to 20 centimetres is expected Sunday.
"Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions," the agency said. "Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow."
In Victoria, crews worked through the night Saturday into Sunday applying salt to priority routes, according to an update from the city.
Due to the forecasted snowfall on Sunday, the city is continuing to focus on priority routes, as well as downtown transit stops, wheelchair ramps and sidewalks in front of city properties.
Crews will begin plowing residential side streets once the snow lets up and major routes are clear, the city said.
On Saturday, the city and the Victoria Police Department asked residents to stay home and avoid non-essential travel if possible.
The snowy conditions contributed to a number of traffic accidents, police said, though no serious injuries were reported.
One crash on the Pat Bay Highway left northbound traffic partially blocked for several hours on Saturday.
