Were you prepared for the snow storm last night (Nov. 29)? Are you prepared for the winter season in general?
Some Tri-Cities drivers seemed to be unprepared for the heavy snowfall as between 10 and 20 cm fell in lower areas and 25 cm at higher elevations.
As a result of the conditions, residents endured longer-than-normal commutes in and out of the region, including some as long as an hour or more.
A lack of winter tires, or winter tires in good conditions, caused a pile up before 8 p.m. on hilly Marmont Street in Coquitlam between the Austin Heights and Maillardville neighbourhoods.
"Ain't nobody going anywhere. It is chaos," one poster said on social media, who shared their video with the Tri-City News on Tuesday.
Police were also dispatched to direct traffic in several areas where vehicles were stalled or crashed on roads with unexpected ice patches.
@tricitynews Heavy snow storm. ❄️ #tricitynews #coquitlam #portcoquitlam #portmoody #snow #snowstorm ♬ original sound - TriCityNews
Break out the shovels
Residents in each Tri-Cities community is being asked to be a good neighbour and shovel their sidewalks to allow safer passage for pedestrians.
Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody officials are also asking commuters to avoid parking on priority routes and main arteries for crews to plow and salt.
This also includes transit corridors and connecting routes.
And, unless your vehicle is equipped with proper snow tires, you're encouraged to stay home if possible.
"Residents, strata corporations, and businesses are responsible for removing snow or ice from sidewalks and curb letdowns bordering their property within 24 hours of a snowfall or storm event," the City of Port Moody explains on its website, referring to bylaw 2426.
"Owners of private property along priority pedestrian routes are required to clear adjacent sidewalks of snow and ice by 10 a.m. every day."
Meanwhile, TransLink has warned riders to expect delays on some routes due to last night's snow storm, which slowed buses and many returned to the depot late, resulting in some cancellations.
It appears most Tri-Cities transit options are running at normal operations, give or take a few minutes due to the snowy roads.
For information, you can visit the alerts page on TransLink's website.
Jack Frost to pay a visit
There may be a break from any additional snowfall this week, but the Tri-Cities may encounter more icy roads in the days ahead.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement today (Nov. 30) for icy conditions as temperatures are predicted to drop as low as -10 C with wind chill.
Meteorologists are expecting the cold front to hover over the region tonight and tomorrow (Dec. 1), likely leading to difficult driving conditions during the Thursday morning commute, especially on untreated roads.
Winds could gust between 15 and 20 km/h, according to Environment Canada.
The frigid temperatures are expected to remain at or below 0 C until Thursday night.
