ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - A winter storm continued to wallop parts of southern British Columbia on Sunday, dumping large amounts of snow across the region, cancelling school on Monday for several municipalities, and causing concerns about the morning commute.

"You can't treat this like a regular Monday," said Abbotsford Police Const. Ian MacDonald, whose city was among the hardest hit in the region. "You may, in fact, have to get up and shovel your driveway out, so maybe give yourself some extra time. Also, make sure you and your vehicle are road-worthy."

Sunday's snowfall caused periods of near-white-out conditions in the Fraser Valley, and weather-related accidents kept MacDonald's department busy. Weather conditions also prompted the closure of the Alex Fraser Bridge. More snow is expected on Monday.

Schools in Langley, Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz, and Hope have all announced closures, and other districts say they are monitoring the situation.

Environment Canada re-issued its snowfall warning for Metro Vancouver early Sunday afternoon, as bands of heavy snow were reported around the region. An earlier snowfall warning remained in effect for many areas along the south coast and the southern interior of the province, including the Fraser Valley where flurries have been flying since Friday.

The agency said another five to 15 centimetres of snow were expected to fall in localized areas before the storm ended Sunday evening.

The City of Abbotsford said in a tweet that 38 centimetres of snow fell in the area between Friday and Sunday morning, and even more snow was expected before the end of the day. Three-day totals were expected to rival the 46 centimetres that fell in all of December.

City crews in Abbotsford, Vancouver and other municipalities throughout the Lower Mainland put salt down along major roadways in a bid to stop the snow from freezing, and weather conditions prompted the closure of the Alex Fraser bridge:

 

 

Still, roads across the region have been treacherous since the winter storm began Friday, and a spokesman from the Insurance Corporation of B.C. says claims have been well above average over the past few days.

With files from the Canadian Press