VANCOUVER - A powerful snow storm that swept across southern British Columbia early Wednesday prompted a provincial government advisory warning motorists to stay off many roads.
The advisory covered four Vancouver Island highways including Highway 1 between Nanaimo and Victoria. It was issued shortly after a section of Highway 1 just east of Vancouver was also closed because of blowing snow and treacherous conditions.
REMINDER - #BCHwy91A - Vehicle stall northbound at the south end of the #QueensboroughBridge has the right lane blocked. Expect delays. #NewWest #RichmondBC pic.twitter.com/UEX7FhXA8d
— Drive BC (@DriveBC) January 15, 2020
"Because of extreme winter weather, motorists are advised to avoid all but essential travel throughout the Metro Vancouver region today, including the Fraser Valley," said the advisory from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
@TransLink your toxic ex who says theyre gonna change but every time, it's the same old shit pic.twitter.com/xr6ODCN2e1
— ____ (@garbeigeartiste) January 15, 2020
A section of Highway 99, the Sea to Sky Highway north of Vancouver, was also shut down for several hours due to a vehicle incident in icy and blustery conditions not long after Environment Canada posted a rare blizzard warning for the Howe Sound region, which includes that route.
Every public school and post-secondary institution from the eastern Fraser Valley to Victoria and Nanaimo was shuttered as the storm dumped at least 25 centimetres of snow in many areas, with the weather office calling for more snow.
Another truly Canadian 🇨🇦 moment. What else is going to happen outside my window? #CanadianEntertainment #Snowpocalypse2020 #vancouversnowstorm2020 #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/YTQ2jsosf4
— Holly Keon (@freespiritus) January 15, 2020
Hardy Lower Mainland commuters who decided to rely on public transit faced lengthy waits and those who reached SkyTrain stations were advised by attendants to return home.
A statement from TransLink, which handles transit services across Metro Vancouver, confirmed the snow was playing havoc with the service.
Bike lane turned cross-country ski course #yvr #Vancouver #Snowmageddon2020 #vancouversnowstorm2020 @GlobalBC pic.twitter.com/eMcCbYvuC6
— Jada Basi (@jadabasi) January 15, 2020
"Switch issues on the system are causing some trains to be unable to reliably make it to stations, and crowds are building," the statement said.
The problems forced closure of three entire stations in Surrey and New Westminster, while ice buildup in the guides of the automated doors on trains that were running caused further delays.
#BCHwy91 EB Vehicle congestion on the incline of the #AlexFraserBridge is causing heavy delays. Crews are on scene. Consider alternate route. #DeltaBC #RichmondBC #SurreyBC pic.twitter.com/AvGcw2gMAt
— Drive BC (@DriveBC) January 15, 2020
Extreme cold, winter storm or snowfall warnings were in effect for all but a handful of regions from British Columbia, Yukon and the Northwest Territories all the way to northern Manitoba.
Bitterly cold Arctic air that skidded southward across Western Canada carried wind chill values that Environment Canada said were at or below -50 C in Prairie provinces, while wind chill values in B.C.'s Interior were around -40.
Queensborough bridge closed north due to spun out semis. pic.twitter.com/dVhnSQFvx9
— NWPD Traffic 📱+🚘=❌ (@NWPDtraffic) January 15, 2020
The weather office also posted wind warnings for Victoria, Metro Vancouver and much of B.C.'s inner south coast with winds up to 90 km/h having the potential to bring down trees and cause power outages.
