Metro Vancouver might get its first snowfall of the year this week

A person walks a dog as heavy snow falls in Vancouver, on Sunday February 10, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

It might finally be time to dust off the winter boots for residents of B.C.’s South Coast.

After a balmy December and very dry January, a “major shift” in weather is coming to the region later this week, Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Erven told CTV News.

She said snow, or rain mixed with snow, could begin falling as soon as Thursday in higher elevation areas.

The freezing level will rise again Thursday night into Friday, bringing a “moderate” amount of rain, forecasters predict.

“Once the Friday system moves through, we’re going to be in a much colder air mass,” Erven said. The incoming weather has “the right ingredients” for a snowy weekend, which include low temperatures, high moisture and a low-pressure system.

Meteorologists predict a chance of snow beginning Saturday and potentially lasting into early next week for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Sea-to-Sky area and Vancouver Island.

Exactly how much snow will fall is still uncertain because a “lazy low” is hanging over the South Coast, Erven said.

“They hang out over an area for many days in a row, and you get moisture circulating around them, and it kind of comes in sort of intermittent bursts of precipitation, and those bursts can range from anything from just trace but snowfall to locally heavy amounts,” she explained.

Despite the uncertainty, Erven said everyone should prepare for snow-related disruptions, including adding buffer time to their commute or finally getting around to putting on snow tires.

Environment Canada also encourages residents to check back with the forecast as the areas that will get the most snow and when will become clearer as time goes on.