The worst of the snow is in the rear-view mirror for the Lower Mainland, but Old Man Winter has a few more tricks up his sleeve before temperatures are forecast to climb on the weekend.
The second major track issue in as many days on the SkyTrain Expo Line downtown struck just as rush hour was getting underway, causing major delays for commuters.
Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for Metro Vancouver Friday morning, while the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound and Whistler have been placed under a winter storm watch.
The worst conditions are expected in those latter regions, where surface temperatures are forecast to hover slightly below zero, thanks to cold winds from the Interior.
Another Pacific front is forecast to bring strong winds along with a mixture of snow, freezing rain, and rain to the South Coast starting Friday night.
The agency forecasts heavy snow late Friday evening, which should transition to rain as warmer air pushes into the region.
“Timing this transition to rain is always challenging in these situations,” warns Environment Canada.
“There is a chance that this transition could be delayed resulting in higher snowfall amounts. It is also possible this transition will include a period of freezing rain.”
Schools across the region were open Friday, with the exception of Trinity Western University’s Langley campus and the University of the Fraser Valley’s Hope campus.
Black ice, roads and transit
Conditions on transit Friday were much improved over the last few days, with no weather-related impacts reported on the bus or WestCoast Express system.
SkyTrain, however, was still suffering problems Friday morning, with a track issue preventing any trains from getting in or out of Waterfront Station for most of the morning.
TransLink said the issue was resolved around 11 a.m.
The delays followed a similar issue on Thursday afternoon, when transit platforms became heavily crowded amid a track issue near Stadium-Chinatown station.
The Canada Line and Millennium Line were unaffected, though TransLink said the Millennium Line is operating “slower than normal” due to inclement weather.
Commuters are still being advised to plan extra time for their commute and to dress warmly.
Roads in some parts of the Lower Mainland remained a challenge Friday morning, particularly in parts of Langley and north Surrey, where residents woke up to several centimetres of new snow.
While most main routes are now clear, drivers across the region are being warned to take extra care, with a significant risk of black ice on the roads.
Black ice is an imperceptibly-thin coast of glazed ice on a surface, often formed from melted and re-frozen snowfall. The ice is actually clear, but takes on a dark colour thanks to the pavement below it.
It most commonly forms on stretches of road that don’t get much sunlight, such as shaded areas, or tunnels and bridges which cool from above and below.
You can learn more about black ice, and how to prepare for it, here.
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