A snowfall warning has now ended for Metro Vancouver Monday morning.
Many residents across the region woke up to heavy snow, making the morning commute a mess.
Drivers reported many roads were not plowed and even major routes were icy and not clear. Bridges were slippery and visibility was limited. The Port Mann Bridge was stopping motorists temporarily while they cleaned the cables but the bridge remained open for the morning commute.
Many drivers told Global News it appeared streets and roadways were not plowed or salted ahead of the snowfall. Commutes that usually take 30 minutes were taking hours, with some people choosing to stay home instead. Reporter Ted Field drove from Langley to Burnaby Monday morning and spent two-and-a-half hours on the road, versus a typical 40 minutes.
For those hoping to avoid the chaos on the roads and take transit, they didn’t fare any better.
Buses were delayed and cancelled all across the region.
This bus in North Vancouver got stuck in the slush and crews had to come and dig it out.
SkyTrains were slow and kept stopping due to snow falling on the guideway intrusion alarms and when they did arrive at stations, many were already full.
The West Coast Express also faced huge delays due to a tree down across the tracks near Port Moody. Riders were stuck on trains for hours before they started moving again. Train #1, which left Mission at 5:25 a.m., did not arrive at Waterfront Station until after 10:30 a.m.
The snow and icy weather also caused some closures of colleges and universities and cancellations of exams.
Due to severe weather conditions, all VCC campuses are closed today and classes are cancelled. This applies to classes at both the Downtown and Broadway campuses, as well as at Annacis Island.
In addition, all BCIT campuses are closed today.
The 8:30 a.m. exams at UBC Point Grey campus werw cancelled today. For exams later in the day, students are advised to check ubc.ca.
Capilano University’s North Vancouver campus is closed today.
All CDI College campuses are closed today.
SFU Burnaby and Surrey campus has a delayed opening of 12 p.m. The Vancouver campus is open.
Vancouver Waldorf School in North Vancouver is closed today.
More than 4,000 customers in the Lower Mainland are still without power as of noon, with the hardest hit areas being Port Moody, Burnaby, Vancouver, Maple Ridge and North Vancouver. Some intersections are out and drivers should use the four-way stop procedure.
The Vancouver Park Board says Stanley Park Seawall has been closed because of falling ice and unsafe conditions near Prospect Point.
The closure will be in effect until further notice.
Environment Canada says the Arctic air that has been stalled over Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley is going to be flushed out by milder air Monday.
The snow will change over to rain this morning, although higher elevations and those farther inland will see some delay in this transition.
The moderate rainfall in combination with melting snow could cause localized flooding today.
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