This story has been updated throughout as new information has come in.
A busy and confusing day for meteorologists and commuters alike Saturday, as conditions in Metro Vancouver forced schools and bridges to close before easing up again later Saturday afternoon.
Several snowfall warnings were in effect Saturday for Metro Vancouver, as well as parts of Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley. The wintry weather prompted the closure of the Alex Fraser Bridge, but the bridge was reopened around 5:30 p.m.
The Lower Mainland received another 5 to 10 centimetres of snow before tapering off in the afternoon. Just before 3 p.m., the snow warnings for Metro Vancouver were lifted.
Global BC meteorologists later confirmed the Fraser Valley snow warnings are still in effect as of Saturday evening, with snowfall expected to last through Sunday.
The Fraser Valley may see somewhere between 15 to 30 centimetres of snow while parts of Vancouver Island, particularly at higher elevations, could see 5 to 10 centimetres, according to Global BC meteorologists.
Drivers dealt with icy roads and some transit users faced delays as snow blanketed the south coast for the second time in less than a week. A crash closed the eastbound lanes of Highway 1 just west of Mount Lehman Road early Saturday morning.
Officials closed the Alex Fraser Bridge, which connects Richmond and New Westminster with North Delta, late Saturday morning due to falling ice.
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Earlier this week, Environment Canada anticipated a considerable amount of snow to hit the region starting Thursday evening, but the weather agency later dialled back its forecast.
Vancouver Island received the brunt of the snowfall on Friday morning, with 12 centimetres of snow on the Malahat highway and the Cowichan Valley, and coastal communities experiencing between five and 10 centimetres.
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The snow caused traffic delays for evening commuters and some crashes in parts of Metro Vancouver, where the morning rush was lighter than usual as many people stayed home to work or took the day off.
Concerns about road conditions meant Simon Fraser University cancelled exams after 3:30 p.m. Friday at its campuses in Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby and also required staff who were not critical to operations to leave the sites.
SFU said on Saturday morning that all campuses were open and exams would continue as scheduled. The university later tweeted that the Burnaby campus was closed for the rest of Saturday and all 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. exams were cancelled. The Vancouver and Surrey campuses are still open and all exams at those campuses will proceed as scheduled.
SFU later said a decision regarding Sunday’s exams will be made public at 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
The morning decision to hold exams angered some members of the campus community:
Reactions to the Burnaby campus closure weren’t much better:
The University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus remained open for exams on Saturday.
With files from The Canadian Press
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