Snow causes travel delays, hazardous road conditions in Metro Vancouver

Provincial officials are urging drivers not to travel on the roads during a snowstorm unless they are prepared, after a slew of spin outs snarled traffic on the North Shore Sunday morning.

A weather warning is in effect for B.C.’s South Coast, which saw the first significant snowfall of the season Sunday morning, with Environment Canada predicting another round is set to begin in the evening.

“Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow. Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions,” the agency said.

Unprepared drivers whose vehicles weren’t equipped with snow tires or chains were the cause of multiple incidents on a typically hazardous stretch of highway on the North Shore throughout the morning, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

The traffic tie-up got so bad that crews trying to clear the road were unable to work.

“Tow trucks have cleared the vehicles that were blocking traffic, and maintenance contractors have resumed their work. Additional tow trucks remain on stand-by. Drivers can expect delays.”

According to Environment Canada, the areas that saw the most snow Sunday morning were on the North Shore – with 20 centimetres in Lynn Valley and between 14 and 24 centimetres in West Vancouver.

In Vancouver, the east side of the city saw 16 centimetres south Vancouver saw 12, and downtown was hit with 10.

The early morning blast of winter weather brought three centimetres to Vancouver International Airport.

YVR is advising passengers to check their flight status before travelling to the airport. YVR’s website showed approximately 15 departing flights impacted by delays Sunday afternoon and evening, but no widespread cancellations. In terms of arrivals, around 20 incoming flights had been cancelled, and dozens more impacted by delays.

TransLink activated its winter weather protocol, and all services were operational, but riders were being urged to bundle up and prepare for detours or delays.