Daffodils covered with frost and snowfall.
The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»weather forecast called for a chance of snow earlier this week, but now the forecast calls for some extremely low temperatures, too.
While the long-term Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»weather forecast calls for warm temperatures to carry into spring, the short-term forecast calls for something decidedly different.
In fact, Environment Canada calls for local temperatures to fall well below zero into next week.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» spoke to Matt MacDonald, Meteorologist, Environment Canada, who explained what is causing the cold snap.
"Some cold, arctic air is pushing southwards over the province, and it will reach the coast by Sunday, when the forecast first calls for snow," he said.
"With that in mind, the east coast of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Island gets hit the hardest because of the cold affect on the Straight of Georgia that pushes onto it."
MacDonald also added that there is a likelihood that snowfall will accumulate next week, but in some places more than others.
"Of course, places with higher elevations, such as Burnaby Mountain and the North Shore, will tend to see the greatest accumulations. You'll also tend to see more in the Fraser Valley."
Right now, the forecast calls for a possibility of snow on Sunday night as well as a couple of evenings next week. In addition, the forecast calls for temperatures to fall to as low as minus five degrees overnight.
With this mind, daffodils have already started blooming in the Lower Mainland, and a few locals have spotted cherry blossoms. Now, with the cold weather snap, people are wondering if these early blooms will withstand the significant drop in temperature.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» spoke to Emily Shcultz, Marketing Coordinator, VanDusen Botanical Garden, about the future of the beautiful blooms around the Lower Mainland.
"VanDusen Botanical Garden is actually on a higher elevation than many places in the Lower Mainland, and therefore most of our flowers don't open as early as places with lower elevations," she explained.
As for the flowers outside of the garden that have already bloomed, Schultz speculated that their future didn't look overly bleak.
"Most of those flowers, such as the daffodils, can withstand temperatures just below freezing. They might not be able to withstand severe cold, but the predicted drop shouldn't be an issue," she said.
"If it snows, however, then they might be in trouble. Depending on how much snowfall accumulates, and how heavy it is, it could damage the flowers. The could put a great deal of weight on them and they may begin to rot."
