Another sheet of snow fell over the Sunshine Coast Monday night, bringing with it travel delays and closures Tuesday morning.
Early ferries cancelled
The first ferry round trip of the day between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale was cancelled "Due to adverse weather conditions on roads and at terminals," said a BC Ferries service notice.
Service resumed with the 8:40 a.m. ferry from Langdale.
Transit closures
The day started with alerts that Routes 1 and 90 were cancelled, but some services have since resumed. The latest updates as of 9:30 a.m.:
Route 90, Langdale-Sechelt Express: "Due to poor road conditions North Road Route 90 Langdale / Sechelt Express's are traveling North Road to the By-Pass until further notice," said a notice. Also saying the route is "now open to Gibsons Way and Marine Drive."
Route 1, Langdale Ferry, Sechelt: "Flume, Beach Ave, Marlene Road are closed, buses are traveling via Roberts Creek Road, Lower Road. Pratt, Chaster and Veterans Road are now opened. Gibsons Loop, Franklin and Gower Pt. are now opened. Langdale Heights remains closed until further notice."
Route 4, Halfmoon Bay: Closed until further notice.
Route 3, Sechelt Arena: Now open for regular routing (as of 1:45 p.m.)
Drive BC travel advisory
Drive BC issued a travel advisory for the entire Lower Coast section of Highway 101: "Arctic outflow and snowfall expected. Expect varying winter driving conditions for December 19 and 20. Drive to conditions and keep your distance. Watch for maintenance crews. Expect delays due to congestion," said the advisory as of 9:40 a.m.
Capilano University closed
Capilano University sent out the following notice Tuesday morning: "Due to winter weather conditions, all Capilano University campuses are CLOSED today. Students and employees are asked to follow www.capilanou.ca for any updates. Travel safely if you must travel and be prepared for winter weather. Follow TransLink and Drive BC for transit alerts and road conditions."
SCRD closures
Due to an Environment Canada snowfall warning issued Dec. 19 for our region, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) will keep the Sechelt Landfill, Pender Harbour solid waste Transfer Station and it's Field Road Administration Building closed on Tuesday, Dec. 20.
An email from communications manager Aidan Buckley states, "these closures are due to anticipated adverse weather conditions and travel considerations."
"At this time, SCRD recreation facilities are anticipated to be open however this could change due to weather conditions. Any updates or closures for recreation facilities will be posted on the homepage of www.scrd.ca and the SCRD’s Facebook Page."
He also noted that delays and route closures are anticipated on B.C. Transit routes. He encouraged the public to consult those same SCRD communications sources or to sign up for transit alerts for up-to-date information on changes to bus services.
Weather warning
Environment Canada forecast that 10 to 20 cm of snow would fall between the evening of Dec 19 and the morning of Dec. 20. An additional 5 to 10 cm of the white stuff could accumulate during daylight hours on Dec. 20, in the southern sections the Strait of Georgia, from Victoria to Qualicum Bay and near Sechelt.
The Environment Canada weather alert encourages the public to be prepared to adjust their driving to meet changing road conditions, stating "surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow."
