Heavy snow blanketed the Cowichan Valley, Nanaimo, and most of Southern Vancouver Island overnight, and while highways are open, drivers may face dangerous conditions.
A low pressure system made landfall in Washington State last night, bringing a winter storm to the southern part of Vancouver Island and metro-Vancouver.
More than 30 centimetres of snow has accumulated on the southern island, with at least 35 centimetres on the ground in the Cowichan Valley.
Drive BC reports heavy snow and limited visibility on highway one – but the highway remains open.
Side roads, streets and rural roads may be difficult to navigate due to the heavy accumulation of snow.
Due to the poor road conditions, BC Transit has temporarily suspended all service in the Cowichan Valley until it is safe to resume its schedules.
BC Hydro is currently reporting four small isolated power outages, in Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill, and the Cherry Point Road area.
The forecast from Environment and Climate Change Canada calls for snow flurries today and overnight, with a further accumulation of 5-10 centimetres of snow.
