Several universities cancel in-person classes for Thursday due to snow

A number of post-secondary schools in B.C.'s Lower Mainland have cancelled in-person classes for Thursday over ongoing concerns about winter driving conditions.

The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the B.C. Institute of Technology and Capilano University each announced Wednesday evening that there would be no in-person leaning Thursday, after a snowstorm wreaked havoc on roads and forced a wave of school closures across the region.

Other schools – including Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langara College and Douglas College – announced cancellations early Thursday.

UBC said the decision to cancel another day of in-person classes was due to "anticipated weather and road conditions through the morning and afternoon," but noted the campus will not be closed.

"Employees who perform necessary work are expected to come to work. All other staff should seek direction from their manager about whether alternative arrangements, such as working remotely, are appropriate," the university said in a weather advisory.

Students have been advised to watch for messages from their instructors to find out if they are "moving classes online, or providing content asynchronously," UBC said.

SFU confirmed buildings will be open at each of its three campuses on Thursday as well, with the exception of the libraries and the Lorne Davies Sports Complex.

While in-person classes are cancelled, "all online classes will proceed as scheduled," reads a notice on the SFU website.

BCIT and Capilano both announced their campuses would be closed on Thursday.

BCIT said students with classes that are available online will not be impacted by the closure, and that faculty able to work remotely "should do so."

Public schools across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley also cancelled classes for a second day on Thursday over concerns about the weather.

Environment and Climate Change Canada is expecting a second round of snow Thursday afternoon, which could be followed by an extended period of freezing rain beginning in the evening.

The weather agency has issued freezing rain warnings for several cities, including Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Hope.