Wetcoaster

Metro Vancouver just missed the weather system that nailed Victoria and Seattle. In Victoria: A blizzard pounding the capital region since early this morning has shut down schools and libraries, but planes and ferries continue to shuttle people off the Island while a majority of bus routes remain in operation. Police say abandoned vehicles dot roadsides but traffic volumes are way down, making it easier for those who must drive.http://www.timescolonist.com/Snow+closes+schools+makes+driving+treacherous/6014065/story.html#ixzz1jqHst5J8 And Seattle: Seattle-area residents awoke Wednesday to a blanket of snow from a storm predicted to be one of the worst in almost 30 years. CNN iReporter Joel Pederson scraped six inches off his car hood, with the anticipation of more on the way. "Right now it is snowing heavily, so maybe we will get another inch and a half before the end of the day . . . we have not had this much snow since the 1980s." The cause of the massive snowdump is the collision of a large mass of precipitation from the south and west with a cold arctic air mass. The U.S. National Weather Service had issued a prediction of up to 20 inches of snow for the southwest interior of Washington State, with higher snowfall in the mountains.http://www.theprovince.com/news/Seattle+area+residents+digging+themselves+from+major+snow+storm/6014621/story.html#ixzz1jqLOglGW

Here is the BC government brochure dealing with tire chains and snow tires. http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/SeasonalDriving/winter/documents/Winter_Safety_Brochure.pdf Also see: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/popular-topics/faq.htm#winter_tires And Transport Canada info on "Winter Tire Safety Tips ": http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/safevehicles-safetyfeatures-wintertires-index-468.htm Winter rated tires (or chains) are only mandatory in BC when posted but you can nevertheless be ticketed even when not posted as mandatory depending upon road conditions and it greatly enhances your chances of being fixed with liability if you are involved in an accident where snow or ice on the roads might be a factor. There are Regulatory Signs (R047) posted in various locations on numbered highways throughout the province. The R-047 Regulatory sign “Use Winter Tires or Carry Chains – Beyond This Point – October 1st – April 30th“ when placed upon a highway will prohibit vehicles from being driven or operated on a highway that are not equipped with winter tires or chains beyond that point when enforced by the police, ministry or other enforcement officials. The W-041 Warning sign when placed upon a highway is to inform motorists that winter driving conditions can be expected on provincial highways from Oct 1st -Apr 30th. Therefore, motorist should be properly equipped with appropriate winter safety equipment between Oct 1st – April 30th, and may be prevented from proceeding on highways which have R-047 regulatory signs “Use Winter Tires or Carry Chains – Beyond This Point – October 1st – April 30th“ placed upon the highway. And winter rated tires are not all-season tires (Tires marked "M + S" – or "mud and snow" tires are not considered winter rated tires). BC Motor Vehicle Act - (Chapter 318 - Part 3) Safety equipment 208 (1) For the purpose of this section, “winter tire” means a tire that is (a) advertised or represented by its manufacturer or a person in the business of selling tires to be a tire intended principally for winter use, and that provides, or is designed to provide, adequate traction in snow or mud; and (b ) in the condition respecting tread wear and other particulars the regulations prescribe. (2) The Minister of Transportation and Highways may, by public notice or by placing signs, prohibit vehicles from being driven or operated on a highway that are not equipped with chains, winter tires or sanding devices, or a combination of these the minister considers adequate and necessary in view of prevailing road conditions. (3) For the purposes of a prosecution under this section, the onus is on the defendant to prove that a tire alleged not to be a winter tire is in fact a winter tire. Look for tires with this pictograph: And there are minimum tread depths required per the BC Motor Vehicle Act – Motor Vehicle Act Regulations - (Division 7 - Other Equipment) Winter tires 7.162 A winter tire as defined in section 208 of the Act shall have not less than 3.5 mm of tread depth across the surface of the tire in contact with the road. Also it is recommended that winter rated tires be mounted on all four wheels not just the drive wheels. And studded tires? Under the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, tires with studs up to 3.5 mm high can be used between October 1 and April 30. The regulations limit tires to 130 studs each for vehicles weighing less than 4,600 kg, or 175 studs each for vehicles weighing more than that. It’s important to note you can only use studded tires on the front wheels if you’re using them on rear wheels also (at least one studded tire per rear wheel)so if you have a FWD you must have four studded tires - RWD can have studded tires mounted only on the rear. Automatic Brake Systems (ABS anti-lock) and Automatic Traction Control (ATC) systems can improve traction in snow but are not considered a replacement for chains or winter rated tires. As far as liability with ICBC, if you get into an accident during snow conditions with all-season or summer rated tires you will be ice skating uphill to avoid liability. I have seen cases where the snow tired vehicle was pretty clearly at fault but ICBC still fixed at least of portion of liability on the non-winter tired vehicle arguing that winter rated tires could have assisted in avoiding the accident.

Colder weather moving in. Forecast to go down as low as -9 tonight and -13 on Wednesday and Thursday with highs in the -4 to -7 range.

Here is a link to the various BC Highway webcams from around the province: http://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/index-LowerMainland.html

Pictures at the link noted below. Here is the report: Several reports of a small funnel cloud spotted near YVR in Richmond surfaced, on Saturday. Photos of the small, cone-shaped cloud reached social media outlets accompanied by Tweets such as: “It IS a funnel cloud spotted over #Steveston, #RichmondBC” – Via @kittykat_4 Funnel clouds are reportedly caused by cold air coming into contact with a warm ocean. The cloud sighting is another addition to an odd weekend of Vancouver weather that has included rain, snow, sun and now … a funnel cloud. http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Funnel+cloud+spotted+near+Vancouver/5997947/story.html#ixzz1jV5VJTHF

It has been rumoured that HBO considering giving the go-ahead for seasons three and four of the series. We are now hearing from multiple sources that HBO plans to order both seasons three and four and film them back-to-back (à la Lord of the Rings). It has already been confirmed that A Storm of Swords would be covered in more than one season. From what we have heard, much of the film crew in Northern Ireland has been told of this plan and has been advised to expect nine months of filming next year. Winter Is Coming: I have no doubt that this is an option that HBO is exploring, perhaps even leaning towards, but I don’t think it is a done deal just yet. HBO likely won’t announce anything official until season two begins, so they could change their minds before then. It does make sense though, to do it this way, as they’ve already said they will be splitting book three into multiple seasons. This way they get the whole of the book filmed in one go, saving on production costs and keeping the kids from aging in between seasons.http://winteriscoming.net/2011/11/rumor-hbo-to-order-two-more-seasons-film-them-back-to-back/

Translink passenger complaints are on the increase: 'Pass-ups,' overcrowding lead to litany of complaints aimed at TransLink TransLink is being bombarded with complaints by passengers unhappy about being passed up by overcrowded buses or having to wait for drivers who don't arrive at the stop on time. A third-quarter report by the transportation authority said the number of complaints from TransLink passengers is higher than it was during the same period last year, partly as a result of expanded channels - such as social media - on which to log their concerns. The top two categories of complaints continue to be "overcrowding and pass-ups" as well as "early and late bus arrivals," according to the report. But TransLink spokes-man Ken Hardie said passengers are also voicing concerns on everything from fare disputes to the way they're greeted by an operator or the behaviour of another passenger. "We can certainly see when we're having a bad day ... it could simply be because of a traffic snarl somewhere," Har-die said. "When you consider that we're again going to set a ridership record but doing it with the same fleet [as last year] we anticipated there would be more issues with pass-ups and crowding." Preliminary year-to-date results to the end of October show just over 192 million transit trips on the system - five-per-cent higher than for the same period in 2010, which included the Olympic Games. TransLink said trends indicate that by year's end, it will record its 10th annual ridership record in a row. TransLink said the increase in riders is partly due to reallocating underused buses to routes and time periods where passengers had experienced crowding and pass-ups. If TransLink can isolate a particular issue, Hardie said, extra buses can be sent to that area to pick up passengers. Certain routes, such as the 99B Line and Nos. 20 and 25 often bear the brunt of the complaints. "Those are very long and very complex routes and it's very easy for buses to get overrun or behind schedule because of traffic conditions," Hardie said. Hardie said although complaints to TransLink have increased, overall customer satisfaction ratings have remained at record high levels. According to the third-quarter results, the average customer satisfaction score remained at 7.7 out of 10, with 78 per cent of those on buses rating safety on the system as 'good to excellent.' He said the high satisfaction with the service is due to the fact that most people are receiving the service they expect. http://www.vancouversun.com/Pass+overcrowding+lead+litany+complaints+aimed+TransLink/5864307/story.html#ixzz1goZEZqjd

Patience... "The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again..." oops wrong fantasy series. To tide you over to spring... This will be a Season of Terrors: HBO Season 2 "In production" video: Arya Stark's new look:

After yesterday's wind storm that cancelled numerous BC Ferries sailings and knocked out power around the Lower Mainland, some sun and nicer weather Friday until another storm front rolls in late Friday/early Saturday. Environment Canada is predicting a bit of a break Friday from the miserable wind and rain that plagued the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island Thursday. John McIntyre of Environment Canada predicted mainly sunny conditions Friday. It’s not all good news, though. “There’s another strong front coming in Friday night or early Saturday morning,” said McIntyre. “That’s going to bring rain and wind again.” It will be warmer with temperatures that could reach double digits. Thursday’s wind led to numerous ferry cancellations and some power outages. There was also the rain, which was being driving sideways by the wind. But it really wasn’t all that unusual for McIntyre. “November is very interesting month — weather wise,” said McIntyre whos said normal rainfall for November in the Lower Mainland is 185 millilitres. “It’s normally the rainiest month of the year,” he said. Thursday’s winds reached 100 kilometres per hour on the central coast, with gusts up to 90 kmh on the inner south coast. While not a record, the wind played havoc with ferries. Thursday began with the cancellation of the first four sailings on the Powell River to Comox route. The ferry from Campbell River to Quadra Island made its first two sailings but was then forced to tie up until the winds subsided. With the wind moving southwards, the major routes between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island were affected, with cancellations of the 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. sailings from Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen. There were further cancellations on southern ferry routes through the afternoon. The bad conditions extended all the way up the B.C. coast as the Northern Expedition was held in its Prince Rupert dock because of severe weather in Hecate Strait. B.C. Ferries was already dealing with the cancellation of four runs, Thursday on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay because of last week’s crash of the Queen of Coquitlam in Departure Bay. The ship is expected to return to service on Friday. Also under siege from the weather was electric service. By the afternoon, there were, 4,877 customers without power in Richmond just south of Granville Avenue. Northern Vancouver Island was hit with 18 outages affecting 4,753 customers. Worst affected was Campbell River with more than 3,200 customers affected. Thursday’s wind warning for Metro Vancouver was supposed to be lifted around suppertime. Vancouver city crews were out clearing drains, and because of the heavy rainfall, residents were being asked to remove leaves from the street’s gutters to prevent flooding. Anyone seeing flooding or traffic light problems in Vancouver is asked to call 311 or 604-873-7000. http://www.theprovince.com/news/High+winds+driving+rain+cause+havoc+ferries+hydro/5761631/story.html#ixzz1ekMOkF6d

Here we blow again. Another wind storm that has cancelled ferry sailings. Stormy weather along the southern B.C. coast is causing disruptions to several ferry routes. Environment Canada has put a wind warning into effect, predicting gusts of between 60 and 90 km/h throughout this morning. As much as 25 mm of rain could fall in parts of the Lower Mainland, with the heaviest rainfall expected to hit the North Shore. The heavy wind is causing problems for ferry traffic. As of 10 a.m. this morning, BC Ferries reported the 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. sailings on the Vancouver (Tsawwassen)-Victoria (Swartz Bay) route have been cancelled. BC Ferries also advised passengers the Victoria (Swartz Bay)-Vancouver (Tsawwassen) sailings at noon and 4 p.m. (from Victoria) have been cancelled, as well as the return sailings at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. (from Vancouver), because the Coastal Celebration is operating on another route in place of the Queen of Coquitlam. On the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route, adverse weather forced the cancellation of the 10:30 a.m. sailings and the 12:30 p.m. sailings. The 10:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Nanaimo's Duke Point) were also cancelled because of the weather. Earlier this morning, sailings from Vancouver Island (Campbell River) to Quadra Island (Quathiaski Cove) were also cancelled until further notice. Deborah Marshall, spokeswoman for BC Ferries, said the Comox (Little River)-Powell River (Westview) sailings at 10 a.m. (from Comox), and 12:15 p.m. (from Powell River) have also been cancelled due to the nasty weather. Winds should ease to between 40 and 60 km/h by this afternoon, according to Environment Canada's forecast. The ugly weather should give way to more pleasant conditions tomorrow, with a mix of sun and cloud expected Friday, with a 60 per cent chance of showers tomorrow evening. Rain is expected throughout the weekend and into next week with temperatures ranging between lows of 4 degrees and highs of 10. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Stormy+weather+disrupts+ferry+service+wind+warning+issued+Metro+Vancouver/5761228/story.html#ixzz1ef185OgN

The problem is drivers who have summer/bald tires and are unfamiliar with driving in snow.

The commute Monday morning could be an adventure snow and wind in the forecast. Monday morning commuters should gird for battle with a windy blast of winter, according to Environment Canada’s forecast for the Lower Mainland. While the temperature is expected to hover above the freezing mark at lower elevations, two to four centimetres of snow is expected to fall, beginning before dawn with southeast winds reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour. “It looks like the snow will be starting up around 4 or 5 a.m.,” meteorologist John McIntyre told The Province. “It’s a warm front coming in, so we’ll see the freezing level slowly going up.” McIntyre predicted the snow won’t turn to rain until late in the morning — sometime between 10 and 11 a.m. “At some of the higher elevations, it won’t be turning over [to rain] until late morning,” he said. Drivers in the Fraser Valley will probably have to deal with freezing rain in the interlude between the snow and rain. “When the maritime air comes in with its moisture, it takes some hours for it to scour out the cold air to get rid of it, and then [the air] becomes all warm,” said McIntyre. By Monday night, the freezing level will reach the tops of the North Shore mountains, he added. The high on Tuesday at the official weather station at Vancouver International Airport is expected to hit a relatively balmy 11 degrees. The weatherman’s job will get easier as the week wears on — expect rain and seasonal temperatures. http://www.theprovince.com/Snow+cold+wind+expected+during+Monday+morning+commute/5741259/story.html#ixzz1eIQvyThx

Photo gallery of skiers, boarders and snow enthusiasts take to the slopes of Grouse Mountain today for opening day of the season. http://www.vancouversun.com/Photos+Grouse+gets+grinding+with+snowfall/5735561/story.html

And "whare" would that be? Useful info for this sort of post, eh?

As long as the snow decides to stay up in the mountains, it is fine with me. Whistler Mountain opened for its first runs of the 2011 snow season today, six days earlier than originally scheduled. Closer to Vancouver, Grouse Mountain also benefited from the November snowfall, opening selected runs for its 85th winter season this afternoon at 3 p.m. "We opened on Nov. 16th last year," said Grouse Mountain spokeswoman, Sarah Lusk, adding that initial openings this season and last were "fairly early" compared to most years past. "We're limited with our terrain initially," Lusk said, noting runs Paradise Bowl and Heaven's Sake will be open this evening until 10 p.m. and will open Saturday at 9 a.m. "The excitement is pretty high," she said. By 1 p.m. people were already hanging out in the parking lot, Lusk said. "It looks pretty good." Another 20 cm of snow is expected at Grouse Mountain between now and early next week, she added. http://www.vancouversun.com/Heavy+snow+hits+Metro+Vancouver+overnight/5729270/story.html#ixzz1e6L1d3wm

A report on the snow. Oh yeah and it caused a problem with SkyTrain... what a surprise. Cold weather and icy winds were followed up by an early snowfall, Thursday, that swept through areas of the Lower Mainland. Traffic along Highway 1 came to a crawl around Langley and further East as the snow began to stick, according to reports. Roughly three inches of snow fell in the Langley area by 8 p.m. The 'white stuff' was also spotted around areas of Vancouver, New Westminster and Surrey, according to reports. Bus service to and from Simon Fraser University on Burnaby Mountain has been temporarily cancelled due to snow, TransLink said Thursday evening. Major delays are expected. TransLink BC released a transit system update via Twitter, stating: "#SkyTrain Expo & M-Line: System-wide delays due to snow accumulating on tracks between 22St->Edmonds Stns triggering safety alarms." Whistler Mountain is opening for its first runs of the 2011 snow season tomorrow, six days earlier than originally scheduled. http://www.vancouversun.com/Snow+winds+Lower+Mainland/5729270/story.html#ixzz1e1yw5H5P

Now it is beginning to stay on the roads in South Burnaby.

Really coming down in South Burnaby and sticking on the ground but not the roads.

Your first error was being in North Burnaby. Your second error was being in a Starbucks. Your third error was being anywhere near high school students. ;)

Wet snow falling heavily in the Kingsway/Edmonds area - not sticking as of yet.

Is that in BC?

It was truly a Sarah Palin-worthy whoosh. :lol: Clearly unfamiliar with that literary device of "ironing", eh?

So just another example of us sturdy BC'ers being forced to bow down to the French. This is all Trudeau's fault, n'est-ce pas?