Wintry weather in the Lower Mainland

LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS 1130) – It hasn’t been as heavy as originally anticipated, but people are being warned about some snowfall across the region.

That means everyone should be as prepared as possible, although the most recent BCAA survey, from 2017, suggests most people will not do much to get ready for the winter weather, despite being in the know.

Meteorologist Russ Lacate says a spell of hazardous winter weather descends across the B.C. South Coast today, with arctic winds howling later tonight with speeds estimated between 50 to 90 kilometres per hour.

He notes it won’t be a full blown snow storm, but rather several hours of intermittent flurries.

The wind chills are expected to his the negative double-digits this weekend.

A special weather statement has been issued for the Metro Vancouver region, with snow accumulations expected to vary considerably across the south coast.

About two to four centimetres of snow accumulation are expected.

More snow is expected to fall the farther east you go into the Fraser Valley.

Meantime, wind warnings are in place for parts of the Lower Mainland.

Wind coupled with any possible falling snow at the time may mean there’s reduced visibility

The Fraser Valley and Howe Sound region — including the Sea to Sky — are also under arctic outflow warnings, which means people in these areas should watch for adverse weather conditions, Environment Canada says.

Preparations in place in event of snowfall

Despite snow fall expected to be less severe than it has been in past years, many agencies say they’ve already prepared.

Though the snowfall isn’t expected to be quite as severe as it’s been in the past, the Ministry of Transportation isn’t taking any chances — it’s primed and ready.

The ice collars on both the Alex Fraser and Port Mann bridges are ready to swing into action at a moment’s notice, the ministry says.

“Last year, a cable collar system was installed on the Alex Fraser Bridge,” an email from the ministry reads. “This custom-designed system includes 10 collars, one stopper and one anchor on each of the bridge’s 192 cables.

It adds, “A similar system has been used successfully on the Port Mann Bridge since 2013. These cable collar systems allow crews to drop collars from the top of the bridge’s cables, to clear snow and ice from them.”

Extra crews are also on call.

FILE PHOTO: A worker is seen performing winter maintenance work on bridge cable collar systems in 2018. (Courtesy Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)

Meantime, TransLink is also prepared for snow.

“Anytime we see snow in the forecast, like we do now, we’re in constant contact with Environment Canada and we’ve stood up our snow plan, which means we’ve got extra staff out there,” Chris Bryan with the transit authority says.

“We’re also salting and sanding our transit exchanges and bus loops just to make sure it’s safe for everyone.”

Trolley wires and rails are also being taken care of, TransLink says.

Hydro crews gear up for winds

With winds expected to pick up and gusts forecast to reach up to 90 kilometres in parts of the region, BC Hydro is getting ready for possible outages.

“We do have crews on standby and that includes our BC Hydro crews, contractor crews, call centre agents,” Kevin Aquino with the utility said. “In the event that the problems do occur, we are able to ramp up.”

He explains fallen trees and branches are the number one cause of outages in this province.

“With adverse weather, they account for nearly 60 per cent of all power outages so that could include trees, snow, heavy rain.”

Aquino adds it’s important to have an emergency kit on hand with a flashlight, batteries, first aid kit, food, and water.

He also stresses the importance of staying safe if you come across a downed wire.

“Always assume that it’s live, stay at least 10 metres back, and dial 9-1-1,” he told NEWS 1130. “A downed line is considered an emergency situation.”

Listen live for weather updates after traffic on NEWS 1130 every 10 minutes on the ones. You can also follow Meteorologist Russ Lacate or Meteorologist Michael Kuss for updates. Subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

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