When the going gets tough, the tough take a snow day.Albertans who thought they had a rough ride into work on Wednesday morning can take comfort from the fact they’re not in Lotusland.That’s because schools and universities all across BC’s South Coast are closed after an unexpected snowfall wreaked havoc on local roads.School buses were cancelled all the way from Chilliwack to Victoria to Nanaimo after 10 cm of snow fell across metro-Vancouver Tuesday night, roughly equivalent to what Calgarians woke up to. And they’re on track to get about 20 cm more — about the same as southern Alberta.The difference is that they’re just not used to it. Unlike Vancouver and Victoria, there were no school closures to report on Wednesday apart from a brutal commute into the downtown core..Temperatures fell to -4C overnight, which would be considered beach weather in Wild Rose Country where Calgarians woke up to -17C.Emergency shelters have been opened by local municipalities in affected areas.And it’s not even an atmospheric river Vancouverites are suffering through, but just a good old fashioned Pacific low pressure system that’s working its way through the interior and over the Eastern Slopes into Alberta.To be fair, most of the closures are out of an abundance of caution — the region is expected to receive up to 20 cm of a slushy rain-snow mix over the next 24 hours. Travel advisories were in effect over much of the TransCanada and Coquihalla highways heading into Alberta with heavy snowfall and limited visibility..Crews were also out clearing tension lines and wiping snow from suspension bridges, including the Lion’s Gate which was partially closed.“With the risk of freezing rain, people should avoid travel by vehicle on Tuesday night through Wednesday morning’s commute. Should travel be necessary, drivers must ensure their vehicle is properly equipped for winter conditions, including having winter or snow-rated tires in good condition,” the BC Transportation Ministry said.And unlike residents in interior areas of the province, such as the Okanagan and Kootenays, lower mainlanders aren’t required to have snow tires from October 1 to March 31 of each year, with the exception of communities on the Sea-to-Sky highway to Whistler. Travellers over the Malahat on Highway 1 were required to carry chains.Drivers caught running summers on major routes can face fines of up to $121..Back in Alberta, crew responded to more than 1,000 crashes in the past week, including 300 in Edmonton alone.On Wednesday, the City of Calgary activated its snow detours program for buses along known stretches of roads that are extremely snowy or icy, including several routes through the downtown core.The Alberta Motor Association was reporting wait times of up to 24 hours for some roadside assistance services — such as towing or battery boosts — which was down significantly from the weekend.“We're currently experiencing extended wait times in some regions. If you’re at the roadside and require service, please stay safe and try to get somewhere warm.“
When the going gets tough, the tough take a snow day.Albertans who thought they had a rough ride into work on Wednesday morning can take comfort from the fact they’re not in Lotusland.That’s because schools and universities all across BC’s South Coast are closed after an unexpected snowfall wreaked havoc on local roads.School buses were cancelled all the way from Chilliwack to Victoria to Nanaimo after 10 cm of snow fell across metro-Vancouver Tuesday night, roughly equivalent to what Calgarians woke up to. And they’re on track to get about 20 cm more — about the same as southern Alberta.The difference is that they’re just not used to it. Unlike Vancouver and Victoria, there were no school closures to report on Wednesday apart from a brutal commute into the downtown core..Temperatures fell to -4C overnight, which would be considered beach weather in Wild Rose Country where Calgarians woke up to -17C.Emergency shelters have been opened by local municipalities in affected areas.And it’s not even an atmospheric river Vancouverites are suffering through, but just a good old fashioned Pacific low pressure system that’s working its way through the interior and over the Eastern Slopes into Alberta.To be fair, most of the closures are out of an abundance of caution — the region is expected to receive up to 20 cm of a slushy rain-snow mix over the next 24 hours. Travel advisories were in effect over much of the TransCanada and Coquihalla highways heading into Alberta with heavy snowfall and limited visibility..Crews were also out clearing tension lines and wiping snow from suspension bridges, including the Lion’s Gate which was partially closed.“With the risk of freezing rain, people should avoid travel by vehicle on Tuesday night through Wednesday morning’s commute. Should travel be necessary, drivers must ensure their vehicle is properly equipped for winter conditions, including having winter or snow-rated tires in good condition,” the BC Transportation Ministry said.And unlike residents in interior areas of the province, such as the Okanagan and Kootenays, lower mainlanders aren’t required to have snow tires from October 1 to March 31 of each year, with the exception of communities on the Sea-to-Sky highway to Whistler. Travellers over the Malahat on Highway 1 were required to carry chains.Drivers caught running summers on major routes can face fines of up to $121..Back in Alberta, crew responded to more than 1,000 crashes in the past week, including 300 in Edmonton alone.On Wednesday, the City of Calgary activated its snow detours program for buses along known stretches of roads that are extremely snowy or icy, including several routes through the downtown core.The Alberta Motor Association was reporting wait times of up to 24 hours for some roadside assistance services — such as towing or battery boosts — which was down significantly from the weekend.“We're currently experiencing extended wait times in some regions. If you’re at the roadside and require service, please stay safe and try to get somewhere warm.“
