More snow, freezing rain hits B.C.'s South Coast
BC Hydro scrambles to try and restore power to thousands of customers
BC Hydro continues to scramble to restore power to more than 10,000 customers Saturday after a dump of snow hit the province's South Coast Friday night.
The utility said Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland were the most affected and while many are customers getting back online, weather conditions are expected to deteriorate Saturday night.
Spokesman Kevin Aquino said crews' response times have been "hampered by extremely poor road conditions."
We’ll continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore remaining outages. Follow along for updates <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcstorm?src=hash">#bcstorm</a> ... 5/5
—@bchydroThe Alex Fraser Bridge was closed northbound around 1 p.m. PT due to the weather but reopened just before 6 p.m. PT according to Drive BC.
The Port Mann Bridge also had left lane closures in both directions for bridge maintenance.
In Metro Vancouver, TransLink said bus service is slowed due to the weather and that residents should allow for extra travel time.
SkyTrains on the Expo and Millennium lines were also interrupted, with crews working to clear falling snow from the tracks.
The University of the Fraser Valley cancelled classes Saturday, saying the snow was too problematic.
The Pacific Road Runners First Half Half Marathon, which was slated to take place on the Stanley Park Seawall Sunday, was also called off while Silver Star Mountain Resort near Vernon lost power after a vehicle travelling on the road to the resort hit a power pole.
Environment Canada said it expects snow to continue on the South Coast throughout the day, ranging from 10 centimetres in the Fraser Valley to just a few on Vancouver Island.
Meteorologist Cindy Yu cautioned that freezing rain could also start falling on the mainland in the evening with more precipitation forecast.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/josh2790">@josh2790</a> Yes. Very unsettled conditions over the south coast. Expect more precipitation. Go to <a href="https://t.co/EvBOHlo9m6">https://t.co/EvBOHlo9m6</a> for latest forecast <a href="https://t.co/z0adMRn1qd">pic.twitter.com/z0adMRn1qd</a>
—@ECCCWeatherBCCity of Vancouver crews were kept on their toes trying to keep roads clear of slush throughout the night Friday and during the day Saturday. Some snowplows had to make multiple passes every few hours.
.<a href="https://twitter.com/CityofVancouver">@CityofVancouver</a> snowplows clearing Grandview Highway. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/splash?src=hash">#splash</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcsnow?src=hash">#bcsnow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcstorm?src=hash">#bcstorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/sDtp6X1GqF">pic.twitter.com/sDtp6X1GqF</a>
—@gpsmendozaCar accidents
Fire crews in South Surrey and Langley were also busy with a number of car accidents.
Poor driving conditions on the Trans-Canada Highway caused a snowplow operated by snow-clearing contractor Mainroad to go off the highway near Langley around 12:45 a.m. PT. Shortly after, another driver rolled a car into the same ditch just metres away.
Fire departments are reminding drivers to give firefighters space and to drive slowly while passing accident scenes, especially on the highway.
More snow expected
This latest batch of snow comes just weeks after the end of one of Vancouver's longest cold snaps.
These links might come in handy over the next few days.
- Check TransLink updates.
- Check Environment Canada weather forecasts.
- Check DriveBC for highway conditions.
- Learn more about winter tires.
- Check flights at YVR.
- Rules on sidewalk clearing.
