Heavy rain latest twist in wild winter weather
If there were ever a better reason to throw your hands in the air and just stay home, this would be it.
Heavy rain is expected to hit B.C.’s South Coast Thursday, followed by what’s likely to be icy, slippery roads and localized flooding. That follows Wednesday afternoon snowstorm that turned to freezing rain in some areas
An Environment Canada storm warning issued Wednesday evening said 20 to 30 millimetres of rain was expected on top of newly fallen snow.
Some areas of the Fraser Valley have been hit by as much as 70 centimetres of snow this week. By Thursday, snowfall totals were expected to be as high as 60 centimetres from Squamish to Whistler, while the Fraser Canyon and Coquihalla Summit was predicted to receive as much as 50 centimetres.
The latest storm was due to an intense Pacific warm front spreading warm moist air over the cold arctic air at the surface.
Many of the colleges and universities in Metro Vancouver closed campuses early on Wednesday in preparation for poor weather.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Douglas College, Langara College, Simon Fraser University, and the B.C. Institute of Technology all issued notices announcing cancellations and closures in the mid-afternoon. The University of B.C. opted to remain open.
Last Friday’s call volumes for the Insurance Corp. of B.C. were double the usual number, with similar call volumes expected following this week’s wallop of snow.
In Vancouver, a full snow-clearing fleet has been working 24/7 since Feb. 1, according to a statement issued by the city. Crews were prepped to salt and plow arterial routes as needed, and residents were warned that snow on side streets and sidewalks would likely be ice come Thursday morning.
TransLink also began its rush-hour service earlier on Wednesday afternoon to accommodate commuters fleeing work early. Transit officials said de-icing would take place on SkyTrain rails and attendants would be positioned on trains to manually operate trains if snow triggered any motion sensor alarms.
Push trucks were also being deployed to assist buses and trolleys that became stuck or had difficulty on steep routes.