Drivers warned about snowy B.C. highways as crash sends 6 to hospital
Highway 1 'insanely bad' near Wednesday crash site, passenger says
Drivers heading for highways in southwest B.C. are being warned to slow down and expect wintry conditions on Wednesday evening.
A crash on Highway 1 west of Revelstoke sent six people to hospital just after 1 p.m. The B.C. Ambulance Service said two of them are in critical condition.
The highway was closed for several hours in both directions from Sicamous to Revelstoke before re-opening just after 4:15 p.m.
Drive BC said traffic would be moving slowly through the stretch due to congestion.
Mike Czaja and Stefan Rzadzinski were stuck on the highway for an hour and a half — nearly a year to the day after they were stranded in a bad weather spell on the Coquihalla Highway.
Highway 1 is "insanely bad," Czaja said Wednesday. "It's right at the point where people are starting to get overly confident."
The Coquihalla has also been dealing with slow traffic because of the weather. Drivers have been told to expect heavy delays between Hope and Merritt.
The snow is falling. ❄️ Please drive for the road conditions. <br>• Slow down,<br>• Leave extra space between vehicles to stop, <br>• Give yourself extra time to get to your destination.<br>Here’s the latest weather alert for Metro Vancouver. <a href="https://t.co/vlenZyHLj1">https://t.co/vlenZyHLj1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VPD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VPD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/icbc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@icbc</a> <a href="https://t.co/HUqCR9JzOY">pic.twitter.com/HUqCR9JzOY</a>
—@VancouverPDNumerous collisions in the Okanagan
Meanwhile, Kelowna RCMP were pleading with drivers to slow down and increase the distance between their vehicles and others on the road.
"Our crews have responded to crash after crash along Highway 33 east of Kelowna," RCMP Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey said in a news release. "Officers responding to these crashes describe the conditions in the area as extremely icy, which has seriously affected drivers' ability to stop and steer."
The crashes forced the temporary closure of Highway 33 while first responders cleared the scene. Mounties in Lake Country are also reporting several collisions.
Winter weather on its way
A special weather statement is in effect for the southwest part of the province. Whistler, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley are all under winter storm warnings.
Environment Canada said highways, roads, walkways and parking lots in those regions could freeze over while ice build-up could cause tree branches to snap and fall.
Special weather statement for snowfall for SW <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BC</a> , and snow and freezing rain for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fraservalley?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fraservalley</a>. <a href="https://t.co/OLDgkB6kic">https://t.co/OLDgkB6kic</a>. Send us your weather reports using <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCStorm</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abbotsford?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abbotsford</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/powellriver?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#powellriver</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/comox?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#comox</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/portalberni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#portalberni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vanisle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vanisle</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vancouver?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vancouver</a>
—@ECCCWeatherBCThe agency forecast 10 to 15 centimetres of snow at higher elevations and five centimetres for Metro Vancouver.
Up to 20 centimetres of snow could fall in the Fraser Valley before expected bouts of freezing rain begin.