Fraser Valley ice storm creates slippery roads, leaves thousands without power
Fire and hydro crews busy overnight dealing with calls about fallen power lines and branches
Tens of thousands are still without power聽and roads聽are still treacherous after an ice storm rolled into the Fraser Valley聽late Thursday.
More than 50,000 customers were in the dark at one point late Friday after freezing rain coated much of Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission in聽a layer of ice.
Fallen hydro lines also forced the West Coast Express to temporarily cut off service east of Port Haney Station.聽
BC Hydro and fire crews have been busy dealing with聽back-to-back calls for fallen power lines and branches, and the company said outages could last longer than usual due to the extensive damage.
Heavy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IceRain?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IceRain</a> falling in Abbotsford. Pls use <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/caution?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#caution</a> driving tonight, watching for pedestrians, icy roads, possible fallen trees/ branches & flooding. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/emergencycrews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#emergencycrews</a> continue to work <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aroundtheclock?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aroundtheclock</a> to ensure your safety & repond to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CallsForService?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CallsForService</a>. Pls <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bepatient?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bepatient</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCStorm</a> <a href="https://t.co/t14yzFrnsK">pic.twitter.com/t14yzFrnsK</a>
—@AbbyPoliceDeptPolice have urged Abbotsford聽residents to stay home until the weather changes. Drivers who need to hit the road are聽advised聽to drive extremely carefully, watching for black ice and fallen debris.
Certain sections of road in the city were closed altogether due to fallen power lines.
"It is very slippery," said Sgt.聽Judy Bird. "Pedestrians should also be careful. It is slippery on the sidewalks and if you don't have to go out anywhere today, we're asking people to stay home."
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcstorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bcstorm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MissionBC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MissionBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/0BjEx37RhT">pic.twitter.com/0BjEx37RhT</a>
—@cfw86By Friday afternoon, the聽freezing rain warning was expanded to southeast Metro Vancouver, including Surrey and Langley. Drive BC said there were multiple reports of聽"vehicle incidents"聽caused by聽the poor weather west of Hope just after 2 p.m. and, again, urged drivers to take it slow.
During the evening commute, Drive BC reported multi-hour delays between Chilliwack and Hope.
Heavy snow was also falling in the Nanaimo and Parksville areas, which are both under a snowfall warning.
It鈥檚 just going to rain they said...馃檮 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcstorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bcstorm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/parksville?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#parksville</a> @parksvilleweather <a href="https://t.co/gi5LRx7cws">pic.twitter.com/gi5LRx7cws</a>
—@DellaDog81