Snowfall warning lifted for B.C.'s South Coast, travel conditions remain challenging

A snowfall warning for B.C.'s South Coast was lifted Sunday afternoon, but conditions remained challenging on the roads and flight delays continued.

According to preliminary data from Environment and Climate Change Canada, the region saw accumulations of between five and 30 centimetres.

As the snow fell, people travelling within the region and heading out of town encountered a number of issues.

On Burnaby Mountain, Hamid Ahmzay pulled over his pickup truck when he saw another motorist stuck in the ditch on the road leading away from Burnaby Mountain Park.

Using a tow rope attached to the stranded SUV’s front bumper and the rear of his truck, he was able to pull the other driver out of the ditch and help them get on their way.

"Always if I see anybody stuck on the road, I just try to help them because we are human,” said Ahmzay. “It doesn't matter from where I try to help everybody, you know?"

HIGHWAYS

DriveBC reported a number of accidents Sunday, including on several different stretches of Highway 1 in North Vancouver, Surrey and Langley.

Mathew Bond lives near the Mountain Highway exit in North Vancouver and wandered down to take a look when he saw westbound traffic at a standstill on Sunday morning.

"The problem seemed to be that people without proper equipment on their cars, without snow tires, without experience driving in the snow were the ones getting stuck,” said Bond, who spent a good chunk of his morning standing on the side of Highway 1 advising stranded motorists about the best way to get moving again. 

Stalls were reported on the region's bridges throughout the morning and afternoon.

On the out-of-town highways, winter storm warnings that were in effect have been lifted. However, there was an hours-long closure in both directions on the Coquihalla Highway that DriveBC said was due to multple "vehicle incidents."

On the Sea-to-Sky Highway, drivers were being warned to use caution due to strong winds

TRANSIT

TransLink saw issues on train tracks and bus routes, and activated its snow plan Sunday morning.

Anyone planning a trip on transit is still being urged to brace for the impact of the weather.

"Please use caution, give yourselves extra travel time and remember to dress warmly in anticipation of potential delays," an alert said.

Impacted bus routes included those running through downtown Vancouver and along major routes in the surrounding cities. Snow shuttles were activated on routes travelling through higher elevations, including on the North Shore and on Burnaby mountain.

The transit authority's snow plan means that HandyDART service was scaled back to prioritize those with medical appointments.

TransLink advises that the best way to keep up to date on conditions is to check Twitter or sign up for alerts.

AIRPORT

Vancouver International Airport warned travellers with flights booked Sunday of the potential for delayed departures or cancellations.

Air Canada wrote on Twitter that the snowfall had led the Vancouver Airport Authority to implement a "reduced rate of aircraft departures," and urged travellers to check the status of their flight before leaving home.

BC HYDRO

At one point Sunday afternoon, about 14,000 customers were without power in the region, the majority in North Vancouver. An issue with a substation there has since been resolved bringing the total number of customers in the dark down to about 1,500.

Crews are out patrolling, according to a spokesperson, on the look out for downed trees or power lines.

WEATHER WARNING

While the snowfall warning has been lifted, an arctic outflow warning remained in effect for the Fraser Valley due to "bitterly cold temperatures and strong winds," according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Wind chill values are expected to bring temperatures that feel as low as minus 25 C. 

A full list of current weather warnings is available on the weather agency's website.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ben Miljure and Andrew Weichel