Good Monday to you, Squamish!
Brace yourselves, it is getting cold(er).
Another surge of arctic air will move towards the coast today, with dry conditions and cold temperatures settling in this evening and continuing through this week, according to Squamish meteorologist Jason Ross.
“Strong outflow will develop through the coastal inlets like (Howe Sound) later today, lasting through Tuesday night,” he said.
Environment Canada has issued an arctic outflow warning for Howe Sound and for Squamish to Whistler.
The strong outflow winds combined with cold overnight temperatures will lead to very cold overnight and morning wind chill values near -20 C, Ross said.
“Frostbite and hypothermia can occur within minutes if adequate precautions are not taken when outdoors," reads the Environment Canada warning.
“Weather in the mountains can change suddenly, resulting in hazardous driving conditions. Limit outdoor activities. If outside, dress warmly in layers and stay dry. Cover as much exposed skin as possible to avoid frostbite.”
Warmer temps are on the way, though, according to Ross.
“Taking a look at the long-range, a Pacific frontal system will make its way towards the coast on Saturday/Sunday with a decent chance of snow with temperatures slowly warming along the coast,” he said.
Sunrise today is at 7:31 a.m., sunset is at 5:23 p.m.
A warm place to duck out of the cold
With the current cold snap, the District is reminding locals that municipal buildings are available as warming centres.
Squamish Public Library
→ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10 am to 7 pm
→ Monday, Friday and Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
→ Sunday: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Brennan Park Recreation Centre
→ Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
→ Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The 55 Activity Centre
→ Monday and Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
→ Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
→ Saturday: Programs Only
→ Sunday: Closed
For more information on how to prepare for cold weather, go to squamish.ca/extreme-cold.
Don't ski on the golf course
In a message that shouldn't have to be posted, the Squamish Valley Golf Club is asking locals not to skate/cross country ski on the course.
Obviously, doing this could damage the course.
Signage has been installed.
"Staff will ask people disobeying the signs to leave the premises. Thank you for your understanding," reads the post.
Winter tires
Don't forget, since Oct. 1, winter tires or chains are required on the Sea to Sky Highway. It is the law.
"Passenger vehicles and light trucks need to use tires that have the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol or 'M+S' on the sidewall. This applies to two-wheel, all-wheel, and four-wheel drive vehicles. The tires need to be in good condition and have a tread depth of at least 3.5 mm (5/32”)," reads the 4 Road Safety at Work site.
"Designated winter tires are your best option for staying safe in winter conditions. We recommend using a set of four matched winter tires with the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol."
The tires must stay on through to March 31. Not having proper winter tires or chains can earn drivers a fine of $121.
Driving issues to note
•After yesterday's insanity on the highway, we are happy to report, that at least so far, (7 a.m. on Feb. 10) there are no issues to watch for on Highway 99 from Vancouver through to Whistler.
Moon phase
The moon is in its waxing gibbous phase.
"🌔 Waxing Gibbous: The waxing gibbous phase is between a half moon and full moon. Waxing means it is getting bigger," according to NASA Space Place.
Gibbous means “humped-back."
"Therefore, this phase is called Waxing Gibbous because the surface area of the Moon that you see is increasing and the shape of the lit-up part of the Moon looks like a hump-back," according to the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center.
The moon's illumination is currently 95.9%.
It is currently located in the constellation of Pisces, according to phasesmoon.com.
B.C. extremes
Yesterday's hot spots in all of B.C. were Estevan Point and Cape St.James, which saw a high of 6.5 C, according to Environment Canada data.
(The high at Squamish Airport yesterday was 3.2 C.)
The coldest spot in B.C. on Feb. 9 was Puntzi Mountain (near Williams Lake), which dipped to -34 C.
Seawater temp
According to seatemperature.info, the water temperature in Howe Sound today is 6.7 C.
February average water temperature in Howe Sound is 6.6 C, the minimum temperature is 5.4 C, and the maximum is 8.3 C.
Avalanche forecast
According to avalog.co, today, the alpine rating is moderate, the treeline rating is low, and the below treeline rating is low.
Known problems include wind slabs and loose dry snowpack.
The advice for today from avalog.co is:
"Seek out wind-sheltered terrain where you can avoid wind slabs and find great riding. Continue to practice good travel habits."
- The best and safest riding will be on slopes that have soft snow without any slab properties.
- Avoid areas where the snow feels stiff and/or slabby.
- Be careful with wind-loaded pockets, especially near ridge crests and rollovers.
- Be careful with sluffing in steep terrain, especially above cliffs and terrain traps.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
The District reminds locals that Squamish DOX Recycling, located at 40446 Government Road, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m..
The recycle hub accepts a variety of recyclable materials, including: glass, flexible plastics, foam packaging, paper and cardboard, containers (plastic, metal, and paper).
Events to note
There's always something going on in this town. Here's a few upcoming events that stood out to us.
Tonight, check out Casual Catan League at The Backyard, located at 1907 Maple Drive, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
"Purchase a ticket now to reserve your spot. Walk-ins are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis. Join Arrow Wood Games for a fun evening of Catan, perfect for players of all experiences and abilities in the cozy atmosphere of The Backyard Pub," reads the listing.
Feb. 14, there's something unique for Valentine's Day, Paint + Sip: Paint Your Partner is on at Trickster's Hideout, located at
38005 Cleveland Ave., from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
"While it’s the perfect date night for couples, it doesn’t have to be your partner—bring your best friend, your Galentine, or anyone you’d love to share a laugh and a glass of wine with," reads the listing.
There are many more events coming up; go to our online events calendar to see them all! Want a possible shout-out in our daily report? Load your event into our free calendar by clicking "Create an event."
No parking
• Parking on select streets in Squamish is now restricted to one side only, until March 1, 2025.
"This ensures snow plows and emergency vehicles can safely navigate during winter conditions," says the District.
"Vehicles parking on the No Parking side of the street may be ticketed and towed at any time to ensure community safety. The fine for impeding snow removal is $250."
Affected streets:
- Hemlock Avenue - Cedar Drive to Spruce Drive
- Chestnut Avenue - Cedar Drive to Spruce Drive
- Fir Street - Pine Drive to Spruce Dr.
- Third Avenue - Pemberton Avenue to Winnipeg Street (No parking on East side); Pemberton Avenue to Vancouver Street (No parking on West side)
- Fourth Avenue - Winnipeg Street to Main Street (No parking on West side)
- Fifth Avenue - Winnipeg Street to Main Street. (No parking on West side)
- Sixth Avenue - Entire street. (No parking on West side)
- Eaglewind Boulevard - No perimeter parking near the roundabout at the end of Pemberton Avenue
- Edgewater Drive - Government Road to Edgewater Crescent (No parking on East side)
- Edgewater Crescent - Entire street. (No parking on the outside perimeter of the Crescent)
- No Name Road - Entire street. (No parking on East side)
- Brothers Place - Entire street. (No parking on South side)
- Britannia Avenue - Magee Street to Buckley Avenue. (No parking on East side)
- Harris Road - Government Road to cul-de-sac (No parking on South side)
- Hope Road - Depot Road to Axen Road (No parking on East side)
- Diamond Road- Tantalus Road to Garibaldi Way. No parking on North side.
- Diamond Head Road - Garibaldi Way to Mamquam Road- No parking on West side.
- Glacier View Drive - Entire street. No parking on the outside perimeter.
To find out more, go to: squamish.ca/winter-parking.
Gas prices
In Squamish today, regular gas is going for 184.9 cents per litre at the Squamish Valley Gas Bar, at 9001 Valley Dr.
Gas in Whistler is 187.9/l at the Chevron, located at 8110 Crazy Canuck Dr.
In Pemberton, you can fill up for 180.9/L at most stations.
The cheapest gas in B.C. can again be found in Fort Nelson, where you can fill up for 153.0/L at Dendys Gas Bar, at 4999 Dene Etene Rd.
