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Richmond already surpasses normal snowfall

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 11:15 PST, Wed January 29, 2020

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

Richmond has already received more snow this month than it would normally get in an entire winter.

And spring doesn’t arrive until 8:50 p.m. Pacific Time March 19.

According to data from Vancouver International Airport’s weather monitoring station, Richmond received 34.6 centimetres of snow from Jan. 10 to 18. That’s more than the annual snowfall received each winter since 2008 (with the exception of 2017, when the city saw 43.4 centimetres). 

Despite the extensive snow dump over such a short period, the city says crews worked around the clock in back-to-back 12 hour shifts to keep up with evolving weather conditions. Between Jan. 10 and 18, city crews covered 22,818 kilometres clearing and treating Richmond’s roads; dispersed 1,434 tonnes of salt—the weight of almost three Airbus A380 aircraft; and used 746,000 litres of salt brine—equal to over 4,950 average bath tubs. 

“While the January 2020 snow event saw long hours and a seemingly endless war against Mother Nature, the City of Richmond is aware of the challenges winter weather brings to residents, their daily activities and safety,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “That’s why the city has a snow strategy in place to focus on keeping main roads and major transit routes open as a priority, with arterial roads and residential streets to follow.”

The city appreciates and thanks residents for doing their part to shovel sidewalks and keep street storm drains clear. They also recognize the patience many showed while snow clearing occurred, and for following and providing input on the regular weather updates and safety information posted through the city’s Twitter and Facebook feeds. 

Environment Canada records indicate the average high in Metro Vancouver in January is just below 7 degrees Celsius, while the average low just under 1 degree Celsius. The greatest single day snowfall was 7.4 centimetres in 1961, with the most snow on the ground (between 1955 and 2013) being 18 centimetres in 1969.

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