WATCH: Freezing rain and heavy snow are causing no end of problems across BC today. Catherine Urquhart reports.
VANCOUVER – Torrential downpours, freezing rain and significant snowfall were serious issues in many parts of the province on Monday.
Winter created hazardous driving conditions on many roads, contributing to a series of driver mishaps and collisions in the Okanagan. People are being told to avoid driving unless it is an absolute necessity. The winter weather was also triggering flight delays and cancellations at airports like Kelowna. Travellers are being warned to check with their airlines before heading to the airport to avoid significant frustration.
The weather closed schools in a few districts on Monday. The North Okanagan-Shuswap school district announced that schools will be closed again on Tuesday.
The weather is still causing power outages in the Lower Mainland, the Thompson / Shuswap and Northern Vancouver Island.
And it’s not over yet.
Up to 50 cm of snow could fall in some areas of the province during the course of the current storm. There have already been a number of vehicle crashes in the Okanagan because of the snowy and slippery conditions. Thirty-five cm of snow has fallen in Whistler Village and along Sea to Sky Highway with another 5 to 10 cm of snow for Whistler mixed with afternoon freezing rain today.
Twenty-five additional cm of snow will fall on the Coquihalla on Monday.
Temperatures are bitterly cold in the northeast part of the province, with it dropping to -35 in the Peace River region.
A heavy rainfall warning continues for Metro Vancouver and the western Fraser Valley, where 50 to 70 mm of rain has fallen with this storm, and another 10 to 25 mm is expected.
The silver lining for Southern B.C. is after Monday as a three day dry spell begins in Metro Vancouver during the day Tuesday as rain eases quickly late this evening. Afternoon temperatures with a little sunshine Tuesday through Thursday will be near 10 degrees.
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Problems in the Lower Mainland:
On Highway 1 near Bridal Falls, crews are cleaning up downed trees from a silver thaw. More than 100 trees came down due to the ice and rain.
Highway 1 eastbound is also closed 700 metres west of Flood-Hope Road in Hope due to a localized rock fall. Several large boulders came down on to the median and the ditch, so for the public’s safety, the Ministry of Transportation closed the eastbound lanes. Traffic is being detoured via Highway 9 and Highway 7 and will remain in place until Tuesday morning at the earliest.
The area between Chilliwack and Hope also experienced freezing rain.
“The rain is falling through that frozen layer and freezing on contact,” says meteorologist David Jones. That’s why you’ve got this huge problem of ice conditions.”
For the latest updates on road conditions and closures, check the DriveBC website.
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