Record-breaking snowfall knocks out power, cancels buses in northeastern B.C.
55 cm recorded in Fort St. John in first major snowfall of the season
A record-breaking snowfall knocked out power to thousands of customers Tuesday and shut down bus routes in northeast B.C.
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa West, 23.0 cm fell in Fort St. John, beating the previous daily high of 15.2 centimetres on October 24, 1933.
An additional 32 centimetres fell on the city Wednesday morning for a total of 55 centimetres.
"That came close to but didn't break the old [October 25] record of 35.6 centimetres set in 1918," West said.
All city buses in Fort St. John were cancelled until 1 pm, waiting for snow ploughs to clear the roads.
All school buses in Peace River North and South, which include Dawson Creek, Fort St. John and Chetwynd, have been cancelled. Schools remain open.
- Power outages from BC Hydro
- Road conditions from DriveBC
- School bus information from Peace River North and Peace River South
Snowstorms knocked out power to more than 5,000 customers in the region, though the number has fallen as crews work to restore service.
Snow & storms have caused multiple outages northern <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BC</a>. Updates: <a href="https://t.co/ns4cMM9KkL">https://t.co/ns4cMM9KkL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TaylorBC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TaylorBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HudsonsHope?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HudsonsHope</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FortStJohn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FortStJohn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chetwynd?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chetwynd</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YDQ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YDQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/jAWZCuhug0">pic.twitter.com/jAWZCuhug0</a>
—@bchydroOn the highways, DriveBC is reporting heavy slush, compact snow and slippery sections through the Pine Pass and on roads throughout the northeast.
A mutli-vehicle incident 23 kilometres north of Fort St. John reduced traffic to single-lane alternating.
Accident on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hyw97?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hyw97</a> 23km north of Fort St. John, single lane alternating traffic. Check <a href="https://twitter.com/DriveBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DriveBC</a> for updates <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YXJ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YXJ</a>
—@YRBNorthPeaceWest said not much more snow is expected, as a high pressure ridge brings warmer weather to the region.
"The snow has tapered off, and the bulk of it has moved off into the Prairies, so we're really not expecting much more to fall except for a few light flurries," she said.
Sun and highs of up to 15 degrees are forecast for the rest of the week.
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