LIVE: SFU cancels classes, Port Mann HOV lane closed for snow clearance
Credit to Author: Tiffany Crawford| Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2020 16:17:53 +0000
A snowfall warning is in effect for Metro Vancouver, with five to 20 centimetres of snow expected Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday.
The agency says how much snow residents will see will depend on where they live. Those who live at higher elevations such as Burnaby Mountain, the North Shore, and Port Moody could see up to 20 centimetres by Wednesday morning.
The snow, however, should turn to rain, as the temperature warms up to a high of 5 C on Wednesday.
Here’s what’s happening across the region on Tuesday.
Simon Fraser University has cancelled classes ahead of a big dump of snow expected Tuesday, while most school districts in Metro Vancouver are open.
The university said, in an early post on social media, that due to the significant snow in the forecast and commuting concerns campuses in Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver are closed.
The University of British Columbia said snow was falling at the Vancouver campus, but all classes are going ahead as planned.
As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, it looked like most school districts in the region were open.
1/2 Due to significant #snow forecasted & concerns about commuting conditions & the safety of our community, #SFU’s Burnaby, @sfusurrey & @SFUVan campuses are closed today. Buildings remain open on all SFU campuses, but classes, exams, services & campus activities are cancelled. pic.twitter.com/yx5oBRfVwX
Snow is falling at #UBC Vancouver. Campus operations and classes are on as normal. Commute safely. More info: https://t.co/m51RDj8TqS pic.twitter.com/pLZUgtAwVh
TransLink said the Millennium Line on SkyTrain is operating with four car trains to increase capacity but reduced frequency because of the snow. The transit authority said bus and SkyTrain service may be impacted and advised travellers to budget extra time on Tuesday. HandyDart continues to operate at regular service levels.
The 229 Lonsdale Quay/Lynn Valley will be detoured via Lonsdale, Highway 1 and then Lynn Valley Road in both directions due to road conditions, according to a notice shared around 8 a.m.
The eastbound HOV lane on the Port Mann Bridge was also closed on Tuesday morning and will remain so until 2 p.m., to allow for winter maintenance. In the past, drivers crossing the Port Mann have dealt with ‘ice bombs’ falling from the bridge’s cables and damaging windshields and vehicles.
#BCHwy1 – EB HOV lane closure on the #PortMannBridge for winter maintenance until 2:00 PM. Please watch for crews in the area.
SFU area this morning. Today is going to suck… #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/HL2i5S03xN
Snowfall Warnings are in effect! The mainland side of the south coast will see 5-20cm of heavy, wet snow starting Tuesday morning, whereas the north coast (Terrace, Kitimat, Stewart) will see 15-25 cm tonight through Tuesday. https://t.co/KyupGY4XGh#BCStorm @DriveBC @TranBC pic.twitter.com/FCl4GVjC8k
Travellers heading to and from Vancouver International Airport are reminded to check their flight status before leaving home and to allow extra travel time.
A notice posted to YVR’s website said the airport is dealing with winter conditions; updates for flight arrivals and departures were unavailable on the YVR website as of 8:00 a.m. Tuesday.
Looks like we are going to see some snow in the area today. The team at YVR is on top of it, but here are some handy tips and some more information on travelling during winter weather: https://t.co/WuXIchp6kt
More to come…