Vancouver pulling in extra crews with snow on the way for B.C.'s South Coast
The City of Vancouver is preparing for ice, snow and cold temperatures after Environment Canada issued a weather warning for the city.
Special weather statements were in effect for B.C.'s South Coast Thursday as the sun moved out with more snow set to move in.
Flurries are expected to start in Metro Vancouver, Whistler and the Fraser Valley, as well as on the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, by Friday morning.
Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for the City of Vancouver just after 11 a.m. on Thursday, valid from Friday night until Saturday morning.
It said the snow will affect road conditions and likely rush hour commutes.
Vancouver says capabilities improved
The city says crews have been brining and salting many streets all week in anticipation of the inclement weather.
"When we see weather reports such as what is anticipated this weekend, we also pull crews from other departments, such as water and sewer construction crews, to help support salting and snow removal and sidewalks and bus stops," the city's director of streets, Taryn Scollard, said in a statement.
Vancouver has added to its equipment for dealing with snow since last year, the statement read, with additional snow plow-equipped dump trucks and garbage trucks able to navigate snowy lanes. The city also has additional salt and brine storage capacity.
Warming shelters at Britannia, West End and Carnegie community centres will remain open through the weekend, according to the statement.
Langley fire trucks damaged
Vancouver International Airport also issued an advisory in anticipation of the snow, reminding passengers to check for updated flight information before leaving home and to allow for extra travel time.
Snowfall amounts in other areas will vary, with the most buildup expected at higher elevations in the Valley.
Wednesday saw light snow along the coast, with drivers in Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island running into trouble on the roads.
In Richmond alone, RCMP officers were called to 22 collisions in 24 hours after 7 p.m.
Fire crews in the Township of Langley also responded to dozens of calls. In one case, two of its own fire trucks were badly damaged after they hit black ice and rolled over.
Deputy Chief Russ Jenkins said the two trucks had been responding to a crash at 76th Avenue and Morrison Crescent when they tipped just before 7 a.m.
One firefighter was hospitalized as a precaution.
