There were traffic accidents and transit delays across B.C.'s South Coast Friday as the region was hit with its second snowfall of the week.

Dozens of accidents and delays were reported across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, and the snow and sleet caused headaches both on roadways and SkyTrain tracks as residents tried to get home.

Environment Canada initially forecasted the worst of the snowstorm to hit overnight Thursday and into Friday morning, but the snow continued to fall through the afternoon and into the evening commute. With temperatures hovering around 0 C in the Lower Mainland, what was falling as wet snow stuck in some areas, and turned to water then froze in others.

The latest forecast predicted that snowfall and strong easterly winds would reduce visibility into the night, especially in the Fraser Valley, with snow tapering off overnight.

Following the weather agency's snowfall warnings for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, local police forces issued warnings to drivers to take it slow on the way home. Coquitlam RCMP warned drivers to make sure all the snow is off their vehicle before hitting the road, and issued a reminder that posted speed limits are for ideal conditions, "and these are NOT ideal conditions."

Abbotsford Police Sgt. Judy Bird warned drivers the roads may be more slippery than they appear.

"There's ice underneath the snow so as much as it looks really pretty it's slick and treacherous," she said.

Regions at higher elevations like Burnaby and parts of the North Shore were expected to get the most snow, while open stretches in the Fraser Valley could experience white-outs.

With a combination of snow, sleet and strong wind, several crashes were reported at the start of the evening commute. At least one rollover was reported on Highway 1, and multiple vehicles spun into the ditch. Drive BC reported several "vehicle incidents" on the Trans-Canada and on Highway 17.

A video taken on 104 Avenue in Surrey showed cars and trucks spinning out as emergency crews responded to an accident.

The Ministry of Transportation is closely monitoring the Alex Fraser and Port Mann bridges where drivers were pelted with ice and slush "bombs" earlier this week. 

Two semi trucks were jackknifed on Highway 91 southbound nearthe Alex Fraser, causing traffic delays that started around 4 p.m. Motorists were also delayed in the area as snowplows worked to clear the highway.

In Surrey, a municipal representative told CTV News that workers would monitor the roads until the snow is cleared.

"All the staff are on rotating 12 hour shifts," Ray Kerr said. "And we'll work straight through until road conditions are good."

The City of Vancouver started its day with 30 crews on the road, but ramped it up to 41 trucks sanding and salting the streets. The city also had plows ready to be used if the snow accumulated.

Some areas, like Golden Ears Park, were closed to vehicle traffic due to hazardous road conditions.

Bus routes, SkyTrain lines delayed

For those relying on transit to get them home, TransLink warned its customers to expect delays due to the weather. Messages playing in SkyTrain stations warned riders that the snow was picking up, and that there was a chance trains would be held in stations if the tracks are buried.

Many of the trains were being manually driven by TransLink operators, and the Expo and Millennium lines were operating at reduced service due to the storm.

Service was suspended on some of its bus routes, while other vehicles were rerouted to avoid treacherous roadways. Hundreds of students were stranded at Simon Fraser University's Burnaby campus when the school closed early and buses struggled to climb the mountain to reach them. 

The SeaBus was operating normally, TransLink said.

Travel cancellations and delays

Some who had their sights set on leaving Metro Vancouver this weekend were out of luck with some flights cancelled Friday morning.

When the snow started to fall, Harbour Air cancelled all of its flights until 11 a.m. due to the weather. The airline later decided to cancel its remaining flights for the rest of the day, and encouraged customers to call 1-800-665-0212 for more information.

At Vancouver International Airport, flights arriving from locations including Edmonton, Campbell River, Victoria and Prince Rupert were cancelled and several others were delayed. Departures to destinations like Penticton, Calgary and Terrace were also cancelled. Travellers were advised to check the status of their flights before heading out. 

The airport has 80 snow-clearing machines to remove the white stuff from its runways when needed.

All BC Ferries sailings appeared to be running as scheduled. 

Exams cancelled, schools closed

All three campuses of Simon Fraser University closed at 3 p.m. when its afternoon exam period ended. Students scheduled to write exams starting at 3:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. were advised not to make their way to the school's Burnaby, Vancouver or Surrey sites. Their exams will be rescheduled, and students are asked to visit the school's website for more information.

BCIT took to Twitter Friday afternoon to advise its students that the campus is open, but they should give themselves extra time to get to the school because of the weather. The University of the Fraser Valley and Langara College posted similar sentiments on their Twitter feeds.

Capilano University decided to close its doors at 4:30 p.m. and remain closed Saturday. The university posted online that it will post an update to its website by Sunday morning.

Exams at the University of British Columbia went ahead as scheduled. UBC said students and faculty would be contacted if any of its exams were cancelled.

The following elementary and secondary schools were closed on Friday:

  • All schools in Comox Valley School District 71
  • Vancouver’s Blessed Sacrament Elementary School, St. Anthony Padua Elementary School, Eaton Arrowsmith School, Vancouver College High School, Saint Francis Xavier Elementary, St. Patrick Regional Secondary
  • Surrey’s Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Surrey Christian School
  • Abbotsford’s St. John Brebeuf School and St. James and St. Ann’s Elementary School
  • Tsawwassen’s Southpointe Academy
  • Burnaby’s St. Thomas More Collegiate, John Knox Christian School and Absorbent Minds Montessori pre-school
  • Chilliwack's St. Mary's Elementary
  • Delta's Immaculate Conception School
  • Langley's Kings School, Credo Christian Elementary, Langley Christian School and William of Orange Christian School
  • Maple Ridge's James Cameron Elementary School and Maple Ridge Christian School
  • Port Coquitlam's Archbishop Carney High School and Hope Lutheran Christian School