Power outages, downed branches in wake of Metro Vancouver snowstorm

BC Hydro crews are working to restore power to customers on the Lower Mainland Sunday.

According to spokesperson Susie Reider, roughly 80,000 customers across the province were in the dark Sunday morning in the wake of a winter storm. By early afternoon, she said power had been restored to roughly 90 per cent of those affected.

"In terms of prioritization, anything that poses a threat to public safety comes first, any critical infrastructure we also prioritize," she explained.

Reider says the goal is to have everyone's service restored before darkness falls. However, she says some more outages are still possible in the coming days.

"Snow poses unique challenges. Snow weighs down tree branches and as the snow melts and becomes heavier and turns to ice, we do see branches becoming brittle and falling into power lines and electrical equipment," she told CTV News.

Anyone who spots a downed power line is being reminded to stay 10 metres back and call 911.

With more snow and sub-zero temperatures in the forecast later this week, Reider says the latest storm can serve as a reminder to always have a fully stocked emergency kit on hand in the event of an extended outage.

The utility offers detailed instructions on what to include in the 72-hour kit online.

https://www.bchydro.com/safety-outages/power-outages/prepare-for-outages/prepare-your-home.html

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, snowfall accumulations varied widely across the region, ranging from 11 centimeters at Vancouver International airport to 30 centimetres in the Surrey area as of Sunday morning.

The timing of the snowfall, overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning, did not coincide with a peak period on Metro Vancouver roads and highways which left plow crews plenty of room to work.

By Sunday morning, most major routes appeared well-maintained although side streets throughout the region remain snow and slush covered.

“Things are looking pretty good, right now,” said Amy Sidewell, the city of Vancouver’s manager of street operations. “It’s actually warmed up a fair bit so you’re seeing a lot of melt and slushy conditions.”

She also reminded homeowners about a city bylaw requiring sidewalks to be cleared by 10:00 a.m.

Vancouver resident Peter Dettlaff was hard at work shovelling the sidewalk in front of his home Sunday.

“Hopefully this is the last one,” he said. “Normally we always get one big dump in February, from what I remember, so I’m hoping this is it.”

With files from CTV Vancouver's Lisa Steacy