VANCOUVER -- A satirical plea to the public for a snowstorm ceasefire is being echoed by several B.C. police departments.
The request appeared to have been first made by Nanaimo RCMP, but was in fact not created or posted by the detachment.
"Please avoid committing crime while we are dealing with the snow today. It's really cold outside and we'd really prefer it if you'd do something nice for a change, like – I dunno… build a snowman or something?" Mounties posted.
"They're calling for more snow tomorrow so also please refrain from doing Bad Things tomorrow too. Kthxbai."
However, Nanaimo RCMP said the post was actually made by an "online satirical outfit" and that it was not their request.
"We have contacted them concerning out displeasure, and we apologize for any confusion."
Other police departments appreciated the post, even though it wasn't real. A screengrab of the comment was shared by the Abbotsford Police Department Wednesday morning, with the message, "Yes… What Nanaimo RCMP said."
Mounties in Squamish chimed in on Twitter, writing, "Us as well!!!"
"We agree," commented Burnaby RCMP.
Officers across B.C.'s Lower Mainland and much of Vancouver Island had to deal with slippery conditions and heavy snow Wednesday as another wave of snow blanketed the area.
Mounties in North Vancouver posted a video of an officer joining a group of kids at a toboggan hill, adding its own definition of "snowday."
"A period of twenty-four hours covered in snow, during which cops become kids again."
And in Vancouver, the municipal force's mounted unit shared a video of its horses running in the snow, writing that it looked like they were having as much fun as all the kids out of school.
In Abbotsford, two weather warnings were in place, one for the winter storm and one for Arctic outflow.
The winter storm warning applies to much of the Fraser Valley, including Chilliwack and Hope, and warns of wind chill values of around -20 C. Blowing snow will also be an issue for the area, and there's a risk of freezing rain and more snow, Environment Canada says.
The Arctic outflow warning refers to cool, strong winds funneling through the valley, bringing winds as strong as 60 km/h and gusts up to 90.
The temperature was expected to rise throughout the day to an overnight low of -4, and a high Thursday around the freezing mark.