Southern B.C. snowstorm halts flights at Vancouver airport, creates travel chaos
VANCOUVER — Most of British Columbia is covered by weather warnings as snow, extreme cold and arctic winds engulf the province, forcing the suspension of all flights at Vancouver International Airport and wreaking havoc on transportation across the city
VANCOUVER — Most of British Columbia is covered by weather warnings as snow, extreme cold and arctic winds engulf the province, forcing the suspension of all flights at Vancouver International Airport and devastating transport across the south coast.
Department of Transportation officials said up to 30 centimeters of snow had blanketed parts of southern Vancouver Island, while Metro Vancouver coped with up to 25 centimeters.
Environment Canada is forecasting another five to 10 drops before an easing in conditions is expected.
Vancouver International Airport temporarily suspended all incoming and outgoing flights early Tuesday, holding departing planes at their gates and leaving passengers stranded for hours aboard some incoming flights as those planes had no place to go.
A statement from YVR said it was addressing the “mass cancellations” and working to “get passengers safely off the plane and deliver their luggage to them in the terminal.”
“Passengers who are expected to fly today and this week should check directly with their airline for the status of their flight. We ask people not to come to YVR unless absolutely necessary,” airport spokeswoman Megan Sutton said in an email statement.
BC Ferries also canceled all morning sailings between the mainland, Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the southern Gulf Islands due to poor visibility and difficulty accessing the ferry terminals, while police in Abbotsford, east of Vancouver, are enforcing whiteout conditions along Highway 1 the Fraser Valley reported .
The Universities of BC and Victoria, as well as Simon Fraser University and BC Institute of Technology, have canceled any exams or courses scheduled for the morning and are expected to update afternoon plans later in the day.
Elsewhere in BC, the prolonged deep freeze produced multiple daily low temperature records on Monday, including a low of -46.8C west of Williams Lake, while the Quesnel area broke a record set 78 years ago when it recorded a low of -37.5C ° C reached.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on December 20, 2022.
The Canadian Press
