Schools closed in snowy Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island
Second consecutive snow day for some districts including Surrey, Abbotsford and more
Despite a brief reprieve in the snowfall, a number of school districts across B.C.'s Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland remain closed Tuesday.
Schools in the Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Fraser-Cascade and Surrey districts are all closed Tuesday.
It's the second day in a row that many schools in Surrey and the Fraser Valley have shuttered.
A number of Vancouver Island districts have closed schools as well, including in Cowichan Valley, Saanich, Sooke, Comox Valley, Campbell River and the Southern Gulf Islands.
The University of the Fraser Valley is also closed. The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria are all open.
More Translink staff are on hand to monitor ice that's falling on tracks and tripping up intrusion alarms <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcstorm?src=hash">#bcstorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/BJfqpzJiaR">pic.twitter.com/BJfqpzJiaR</a>
—@FarrahMeraliTransLink says bus service is running slower than usual, and warned to expect some gaps in service. Trains will be running at reduced frequency on the Millenium Line, as all trains have staff on board to ensure tracks are clear.
Chris Bryan, a spokesperson for TransLink, says the reduced capacity is due in part to operators having trouble getting to work.
"Some live in Abbotsford or Chilliwack," Bryan said. "It's really difficult [for them] just to get in to work."
A lot of people out with the shovels this morning in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Abbotsford?src=hash">#Abbotsford</a>. Yesterday attitudes were okay... Today everyone is over the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Snowmageddon?src=hash">#Snowmageddon</a>. <a href="https://t.co/NkrBkrHYzo">pic.twitter.com/NkrBkrHYzo</a>
—@anitabatheEnvironment Canada expects a few flurries today and overnight, with another bout of heavy snowfall Wednesday night, changing to rain on Thursday — with a potential for freezing rain during the transition, particularly in the Fraser Valley.
The region has been hit with record-breaking snowfall that began on Friday. Some areas in the Fraser Valley have seen as much as 80 centimetres of snow, breaking records that go back almost 100 years in some cases.
