Participants in this weekend's two major Vancouver street events are expected to have to brave cold weather on the streets, following Friday's snowfall in parts of the Lower Mainland.

Residents in Abbotsford, B.C., woke to a blanket of snow Friday morning. The wintery weather is expected to last through the weekend.
(CBC)

The annual Vaisakhi Parade, celebrating the Sikh new year, was to start at the Ross Street Sikh Temple near SE Marine Drive at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, while the Vancouver Sun Run will be held Sunday morning in downtown.

Daytime temperatures in Vancouver are expected to hover around 5 C or 6 C over the weekend, CBC News senior meteorologist Claire Martin said.

"As we go into the next 24 hours, the arctic air continues to pull its way down to the Lower Mainland. We're seeing some sleety snow showers. It doesn't look warm at all," she said Friday night.

Some residents in Abbotsford, B.C., said they were shocked to wake up to a blanket of snow Friday morning.

Cord Nickel of Cannor Nursery in Abbotsford, B.C., said a cold wind is as bad as snow for gardening plants.
(CBC)

"It was my birthday yesterday. Never in my 27 years have I seen it snow on April 18! It's insane," one resident, who preferred not to be named, said Friday.

Cord Nickel of Cannor Nursery in Abbotsford said a cold wind is as bad as snow for gardening plants.

"You get a really cold wind, and a drying wind — that can cause a lot of problems because that basically dries the plant right out," he said.

Gardeners who planted away need to take care of their green friends, he said.

"Get the water on the plants. Cover them up," Nickel said. "If you don't [or] if you're worried about them, bring them close to the house. If they're in planters … you can even throw a little mulch."