STORM CENTRE: High winds, more snow, and warnings to drivers
Posted January 15, 2020 5:11 pm.
Last Updated January 16, 2020 4:27 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Thousands of people are without power across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, as strong winds down power lines.
According to BC Hydro, there are a number of issues affecting customers, including in areas like West Vancouver and Burnaby.
Crews will be heading to an outage affecting 4,300 customers in #WestVan. They’ll share updates as available here: https://t.co/dGGHXAd0Jd pic.twitter.com/DpOC7LUKJ5
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) January 16, 2020
Customers on Vancouver Island were also left to deal with outages, with impacted areas including Saanich and Sechelt.
Highways and bridges
Lower Mainland drivers have been cautioned to prepare for delays and closures from the Ministry of Transportation.
The province warns of possible closures of bridges and highways as a precautionary measure due to weather.
Traffic advisory: With a snowy forecast into this evening and tomorrow, it may be necessary to close bridges and highways as a precautionary measure to help ensure the safety of travellers. Maintenance still out in full force 24/7: https://t.co/MOhWwIyXNQ #Vancouver #FraserValley
— BC Transportation (@TranBC) January 16, 2020
Strong winds are in the forecast for Wednesday with five to 10 centimetres of snow expected to fall.
New warnings issued including a rare Blizzard warning for Howe Sound. Snowfall warnings for Northern Metro Vancouver. Wind warnings (Purple) for this evening and overnight. #BCStorm #WinterStorm @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/BEjj1dixzU
— Michael Kuss (@Kusswx) January 15, 2020
Listen live for traffic updates every 10 minutes on the ones. You can also follow us on Twitter @NEWS1130Traffic or subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
But wait, there’s more! @bchydro is preparing for “possible major snow and wind events” on Vancouver Island and the South Coast. #bcsnow #bcstorm @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/CH7XcpKvkR
— John Ackermann (@jackermann) January 15, 2020
BC Hydro says they are prepared with crews on call to respond to any outages.
Mountains
Local mountains were forced to close early because of inclement weather.
Mt Seymour is closing today at 5pm due to high winds. Reopening at 9:30am tomorrow morning. Visit https://t.co/e64q4nD2BJ for conditions.
— Mt Seymour (@Mt_Seymour) January 16, 2020
Please be aware that due to inclement weather the Skyride, Downhill Area, all mountaintop activities and Chalet facilities will be closing for 6pm this evening. With all this new snow we look forward to welcoming you back tomorrow https://t.co/0CyuhDGlnu
— Grouse Mountain (@grousemountain) January 15, 2020
Both Mount Seymour and Grouse Mountain posted earlier closures Wednesday afternoon.
TransLink
Those who are relying on the SkyTrain or buses across the region should be prepared for delays.
The Canada Line experienced some delays Wednesday evening, with trains stopped and held for several minutes due to a track issue.
#SkyTrain Canada Line is experiencing delays and trains are temporarily holding at stations due to track issue near Bridgeport Station. Updates to follow. Millennium Line and Expo Line not affected by this issue. ^tm
— TransLink BC (@TransLink) January 16, 2020
TransLink is also reminding riders to expect some delays along bus routes and SkyTrains because of the built-up snow.
Service tonight will be slower than normal due to weather conditions. Please allow extra travel time and dress warmly. View alerts for information about your route. Stay updated by signing up for alerts: https://t.co/muln9hb7PI ^pj
— TransLink BC (@TransLink) January 16, 2020
BC Ferries
BC Ferries cancelled all major sailing routes to Vancouver Island Wednesday afternoon due to high winds.
All sailings out of Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay have been cancelled after 3 p.m. because of the weather. Sailings out of Horseshoe Bay and Departure Bay are also cancelled after 3:20.
#BCFHeadsUp #Tsawwassen #SwartzBay Please know that sailings in both directions will be cancelled for the rest of the day, starting at 3:00pm, due to adverse weather. More info will be posted to the #TravelAdvisory page on our website here: https://t.co/HLnr1GSyif ^js
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) January 15, 2020
You can also follow meteorologists Russ Lacate and Michael Kuss on Twitter for the latest on the weather conditions. Catch their reports every 10 minutes after traffic.
