Up to 39 cm of snow reported as winter storm blows through southwestern B.C.
Residents of Vancouver Island warned to brace for another storm on Thursday
UPDATE — Jan. 18, 2024: Classes cancelled again in southwest B.C. as more snow, freezing rain approaches
Much of southern B.C. lay under a thick blanket of snow on Wednesday evening after a winter storm blew through the province.
As of 4 p.m. PT, 28 centimetres of snow had fallen at Vancouver International Airport, and volunteer weather watchers were reporting more than 30 centimetres in some parts of the Lower Mainland, reaching a maximum of 39 centimetres in Chilliwack, according to Environment Canada.
Though the snow had tapered off in Metro Vancouver by evening, the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, BCIT and Capilano University all announced that in-person classes would be cancelled for a second day in a row on Thursday.
On Vancouver Island, where up to 21 centimetres of snow was reported in some areas, Environment Canada has issued a new round of weather warnings about another storm forecast to hit the region beginning on Thursday afternoon.
Another 10 to 20 centimetres of snow could fall on the eastern side of the island by Friday afternoon, while inland areas may see strong winds and prolonged periods of freezing rain.
Read more about snow conditions across the province:
As the snow dissipated in Metro Vancouver ahead of the afternoon commute, public transit users were warned to expect delays. TransLink said its 18-metre articulated buses were being swapped out for 12-metre vehicles that are more agile in the snow, which means less space for passengers on some major routes.
The SkyTrain is running less frequently, and some bus routes in the Tri-Cities have been cancelled until conditions improve.
"It's really all hands on deck today," said TransLink spokesperson Tina Lovgreen about efforts being made to get people to their destinations.
All alerts from TransLink are here.
All school districts in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley announced early Wednesday that schools would not open.
The Greater Victoria and Sooke school districts, however, said all their schools would open on Wednesday.
Classes were cancelled across the rest of southern Vancouver Island, and across the Sunshine Coast. Parents in other areas of the province were encouraged to check the website of their school or district for closures.
Most post-secondary institutions, including the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, also cancelled on-campus classes as snowfall accumulated in the second winter storm of 2024.
Around noon, B.C. Hydro reported more than 20,000 customers without power across the South Coast, mostly on Vancouver Island. Many were caused by heavy snow or trees falling on wires.
Canada Post suspended mail delivery for the day in Metro Vancouver due to conditions.
In Vancouver, an extreme weather alert issued by the city will remain in effect until Thursday, and additional shelter spaces and warming centres have been opened.
Morning road conditions
The City of Vancouver has encouraged only essential travel only on city roads, and advised drivers to use city traffic cameras to check road conditions.
Uber driver Inderraj Gill began work at 5 a.m. PT and had been from White Rock to the Vancouver International Airport. He said the roads were snowy, but other drivers were being cautious.
"People are driving slow, they're at crawling speeds and in comparison to last year — I remember being stuck in traffic for seven hours in New Westminster," he said.
Gill said he observed some vehicles driving too close to others.
"That's one advice that I'd like to put out there: We should keep a lot of gap between the front and back of the other cars," he said.
Janelle Staite with the province's Ministry of Transportation says tow trucks and salting and brining equipment are in place on highways to deal with the conditions, and the ministry is asking drivers to make sure they are equipped for emergencies in case there are road closures or delays.
"You do want to make sure that you have sufficient fuel if you do have to be waiting in an area, as well as a blanket and some food to keep you warm," she said.
Maintenance crews responsible for highways in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island made similar recommendations, and suggested anyone who has to hit the roads should be equipped with warm clothes, food, water and fully charged phones.
For up-to-date road conditions around the province, visit DriveBC.ca.
Flights and ferries
Vancouver International Airport said the weather was also affecting flight schedules. It is asking travellers to check with airlines over the status of their flights.
B.C. Ferries cancelled two Wednesday sailings on the Duke Point-Tsawwassen route between Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver, saying on social media that road conditions made the company unable to secure the required crew numbers to sail. The affected sailings are the 8:15 p.m. from Tsawwassen and the 10:45 p.m. from Duke Point.
Current conditions can be viewed on the company's website and X page.
The snowy spell is not expected to last long, with rain in the forecast for the rest of the week and highs of up to 8 C by Saturday.