Commuters in southwest B.C. advised against travel as snow, wind make roads treacherous | CBC News

Commuters in B.C.’s Lower Mainland are being warned to stay off the roads if they can — and even reconsider transit —after an overnight blast of snow, continuing Wednesday morning, created perilous road conditions.

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings or special weather statements for Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, the southern Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast. A blizzard warning is in effect for Howe Sound.

Classes have been cancelled in every school district across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. A number of districts on southern Vancouver Island are also shut down.

Here’s what you need to know.

Travelling by road

Roads across the region are covered in snow and dangerously slippery.

Highway 1 in the Fraser Valley has been hit especially hard with snow. Abbotsford police asked motorists to “please stay home” and avoid all highway travel between Chilliwack and Abbotsford due to “extreme whiteout conditions.” A department spokesperson described the highway as “a train wreck.”

In Howe Sound, forecasters are warning of blowing snow, visibility near zero and hurricane force winds of 85-100 km/h early Wednesday, increasing by the late afternoon to 100-120 km/h. A freezing spray warning is also in effect.

Environment Canada is urging drivers to slow down and drive for the conditions. Rush hour will likely be messy.

A number of vehicles struggled on snowy hills across the South Coast overnight:

Visibility will be limited on the Coquihalla Highway, the Okanagan Connector, and Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon. Heavy snow has been falling and is expected to pick up in ferocity again this afternoon into tomorrow. 

TransLink said service will be “significantly slower” across the transit system on Wednesday. Buses struggle in the snow and are notorious for getting stuck. Passengers on at least one route in Coquitlam, B.C., abandoned their bus early Wednesday.

SkyTrain will be crowded. The trains can also be hindered by ice build up.

“Customers are asked to consider whether they need to travel today, and if there is a need, whether they could consider travelling outside of rush hours, as commutes will take significantly longer than usual,” read a statement from the transit authority on Wednesday morning.

For now, SkyTrain is running larger trains to increase capacity, but at a reduced frequency.

Schools, universities shut down

Every school district in the Lower Mainland, from the Fraser-Cascade district in the eastern Fraser Valley to West Vancouver, cancelled classes Wednesday due to the conditions. A number of school districts on Vancouver Island, including the Greater Victoria District, are also closed for the day.

As well as elementary and high schools, the following post-secondary institutions are also closed:

Air travel 

A number of flights in and out of Vancouver International Airport, mostly between B.C. and Alberta, are cancelled this morning. Passengers are advised to check the airport’s website for details on their flight before heading to the airport.

Return to rain by Friday

Forecasters said Friday will be the “transition day” away from snowy weather on the South Coast. Bitterly cold, snowy air is expected to shift back to characteristic downpours.

Parts of the region can expect around 40 millimetres of rain on Friday, which isn’t good news given the amount of snow the area has seen this week.

“It will be rain on snow, and that has caused the Lower Mainland and South Coast problems in the past,” Environment Canada meteorologist Armel Castellan said.

Rain-soaked snow weighs heavily on structures, particularly weaker ones like sheds and outbuildings. Dense, saturated snow could also down power lines and cause another round of outages.