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OMG Snow?


CanucksFan415

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SkyTrain problems on the Canada Line, commuter chaos - just your average Metro Vancouver snowfall. It should all melt by Friday as the temperature is forecast to rise to 8 degrees.

The heavy snowfall forecasted to hit Metro Vancouver is wreaking havoc with commuters this morning, with the Canada Line being the hardest hit among local transit systems.

The snowfall warning issued on Wednesday for Metro Vancouver continues to be in effect, with snow already accumulating on city streets as early as 4:48 a.m.

This is the second time in less than a week that Metro Vancouver is facing a snowfall warning as the region's brush with winter continues.

Canada Line is not operating at all between Marine Drive Station and Bridgeport, due to the ice and snow buildup on the bridge over the Fraser, according to a TransLink release.

A bus bridge has been set up to get people across the Fraser River.

All public schools in Metro Vancouver are open today, however, a number of private schools throughout Metro Vancouver are closed due to the overnight snowfall.

Meanwhile one person has been killed in a crash on eastbound Highway One near Annis Road in Chilliwack this morning.

Police are asking drivers to find an alternate route around the accident.

Environment Canada data shows snow has been falling in Vancouver since 2 a.m., and the weather agency is warning the public to continue to be aware of the wintry conditions for the rest of the day.

Temperature, however, has bounced back - the low overnight into Thursday morning only reached -3 C.

TransLink is reporting several problems within the local transit systems as of 6 a.m. The #20 bus for Coast Mountain Bus Co., officials say, is only going as far as the 54th Avenue Loop. Shuttle buses are being used to connect passengers between that point and Harrison Loop, since the hill on the route is currently too dangerous for travel for an articulated bus.

HandyDART operation has also been called off throughout Metro Vancouver except for "dialysis, cancer and other life-sustaining appointments and work," officials say.

So far, no issues are being reported for services in the SFU area.

There are some reports of school closures throughout the metro area, but all public schools will be open for Thursday.

Officials are asking commuters to bundle up and be prepared for the snow, making the necessary adjustments. Some stations may also be more crowded than usual, officials said.

It began snowing lightly in downtown Vancouver early Wednesday and Environment Canada said areas of Metro Vancouver can expect up to 15 centimetres of snow from Wednesday night to this afternoon. The precipitation is expected to turn into rain in the afternoon in the city and by evening further inland.

"Light snow flurries will continue over much of the south coast today as a weak pacific front is draped over the area," said a snowfall warning issued Wednesday morning.

"However, a second more moisture-laden system will make its down from north B.C coast tonight and cause snowfall rates to increase overnight over the south coast. The snow will change to rain in the afternoon over most regions as the frontal system draws in milder marine air from the Pacific."

Temperatures hit a frosty -6 C Wednesday morning.

Meteorologist Mark Madryga said no record minimums were set in B.C. on Tuesday. Vancouver's temperature was -9.5 C Tuesday morning, falling short of the record low -12.9, also set in 1985, making Tuesday the second coldest Nov. 23 low on record.

But Madryga noted that Tuesday's maximum high temperature reached only -3.2 C, which eclipsed the all-time coldest maximum for Nov. 23 in Vancouver, which was -1.9 C set in 1985.

The federal weather agency noted that Thursday's major snowfall will mark the transition to milder, wetter weather conditions, likely causing major transportation challenges.

Winds in the upper atmosphere that have been driving cold Arctic air southward across the province will begin shifting to the west tomorrow, the statement said. Then, milder, wetter Pacific air will slide overtop the cold, dense Arctic air near the ground, causing the snowfall.

The hardest hit will be the inland sections of Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, Howe Sound and Whistler. There is also a slight risk of freezing rain in these same regions, which can lead to treacherous road conditions.

Metro Vancouver's weather is expected to warm up by the end of the week. On Thursday after the initial snowfall, temperatures are expected to rise in the afternoon and the precipitation will turn to rain in the evening. Madryga predicted a high of 8 C for Friday.

http://www.vancouversun.com/Metro+Vancouver+with+snowfall+warning+SkyTrain+troubles/3868574/story.html#ixzz16JtGgpj1

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^ Someone cheaped out on running enough overnight trains on the bridge to prevent snow and ice from accummulating...this has never happened before on the [real] SkyTrain. Today's weather is nothing compared to what the [real] SkyTrain has been able to deal with in the past. It's completely unacceptable.

Edited by nitronuts
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^ Someone cheaped out on running enough overnight trains on the bridge to prevent snow and ice from accummulating...this has never happened before on the [real] SkyTrain. Today's weather is nothing compared to what the [real] SkyTrain has been able to deal with in the past. It's completely unacceptable.

Well, I just came back from spending 1 hour to get from Brighouse to Bridgeport. Then I decided to call it a day and take the 407 back home. My class was at 10:30, and by the time I got to Bridgeport, it was 9:40, though I started the trip at 8:30.

Great.

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^ Someone cheaped out on running enough overnight trains on the bridge to prevent snow and ice from accummulating...this has never happened before on the [real] SkyTrain. Today's weather is nothing compared to what the [real] SkyTrain has been able to deal with in the past. It's completely unacceptable.

Not even that couldn't they just sent someone out there to clear the ice and snow?

Also what about heaters? You could easily have a heater attached to the rails keeping it warm (just above 0º).

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I remember that. Actually the power outage was due to a construction crew hitting a main power line and had nothing to do with the snow IIRC.

That was glorious! :towel:

Um, I'm near the stop for the 25 at Main/king edward. Is it worth it to go to UBC today or is transit a nightmare?

also, weathernetwork has slightly changed their predictions from yesterday for vancouver. They said it would warm up, but now they're saying it's only going to warm up to be about 1 for thursday evening which could mean that it stays snow for tonight.

Edited by The Brahma Bull
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