The snow falling on parts of Vancouver Island is leading to many closures and cancellations as road conditions deteriorate.
Camosun College is closing at 4 p.m. due to the snow that is falling throughout the region.
The Fisher Building foyer at Lansdowne and Liz Ashton Campus Centre at Interurban will remain open until 5 p.m.
CFB Esquimalt has announced that it is reducing its base to minimum manning or critical personnel due to hazardous road conditions.
“In the interests of personal safety for all Defence Team Members, the Commander of CFB Esquimalt has given direction that the Base will reduce to minimum manning or critical personnel today. This includes the CANEX, the museum and the Naden Athletic Centre,” the CFB Esquimalt said in a statement.
Current inclement weather conditions are making road travel hazardous. In the interests of personal safety for all…
Posted by CFB BFC Esquimalt on Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Royal Roads University closed the campus just after 12 p.m., with the library and recreation centre closing at 1 p.m.
Vancouver Island University closed its Nanaimo, Cowichan, and Parksville-Qualicum locations at 12:30 p.m.
All classes and examinations are cancelled, and services will be suspended for the rest of the day and evening. Some areas that will be maintained on the Nanaimo campus during the closure include the Library Commons (you will need your student/employee card to access after 12:30 pm) and VIU Residences.
VIU's Nanaimo, Cowichan, and Parksville-Qualicum locations will be closing at 12:30 pm today (January 14, 2020).VIU's…
Posted by Vancouver Island University on Tuesday, January 14, 2020
In the Sooke School District, school bus service to Finlayson Arm Road is cancelled. Also, this afternoon B26 will not travel on Stewart Mountain, B6 will not travel on Taylor Way and B9 will not travel on Otter Point Road.
The Post Secondary BC (PSBC) event at Parkland Secondary School tonight in the Saanich School District has been cancelled. All Community Use events in the Saanich School District are also cancelled.
The Greater Victoria School District said it is monitoring the weather conditions and at this time, all schools will remain open until regular dismissal. However, parents and guardians can pick up students early for the afternoon. Students will not be marked absent if they are excused early. The district’s Challenge Information Night that was scheduled for tonight has been postponed to January 20th, 2020 at 7 p.m. at Esquimalt High School.
Parents can also pick up children early from Lighthouse Christian Academy out in Langford.
Nanaimo Christian School already closed for a snow day on Tuesday morning, as students were travelling from Qualicum to Ladysmith.
The Parent Information Session in School District No. 69 Qualicum has been rescheduled to Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the Teaching & Learning Centre (140 Renz Road) in Parksville.
On Salt Spring Island, School District 64 buses are running on the main roads only. The Pender bus is running but there is no afternoon Galiano bus.
School buses left early, at 2 p.m., from École Victor-Brodeur in Esquimalt.
BC Transit says Victoria handyDART is moving to essential services only due to the weather. All customers already out will be taken home and all non-medical trips will be cancelled.
Victoria handyDART is moving to essential services only due to the weather issues. All customers already out will be transported home and all non-medical trips will be cancelled. pic.twitter.com/hKIBMutSjJ
— BC Transit (@BCTransit) January 14, 2020
Snow Advisory: Flights delays and cancellations this afternoon. Please check the latest status of your flight at https://t.co/Wz40blunDs or w/ your airline and, please take extra caution on the roads. #yyj #yyjops
— Victoria Int Airport (@Fly_YYJ) January 14, 2020
Helijet has put all flights from Vancouver to Victoria and Nanaimo on hold due to the weather on the Island.
Currently all flights from Vancouver to Victoria and Nanaimo are on a weather hold due to conditions on the island. For the most up-to-date information, please call us at 1.800.665.4354
— Helijet Intl Inc (@Helijet) January 14, 2020
Harbour Air is also seeing delays and cancellations.
#HAflightstatus [1:00pm Jan 14] Many of our routes are experiencing delays and cancellations due to poor weather conditions this afternoon. Please visit https://t.co/kTxVyqYa3W for further flight status information. Thank you for your continued patience.
— Harbour Air Seaplanes (@HarbourAirLtd) January 14, 2020
Drivers in Greater Victoria and across the Island are dealing with heavy snow and reduced visibility.
Very heavy snow just after Ware road near Lantzville and Nanoose. Wow. Low vis. #bcsnow #bcstorm #alberniwxstorm #nanaimo #bchwy19 @DriveBC_VI @DriveBC_VI pic.twitter.com/zuyi2jpp9V
— Alberni Weather (@alberniweather) January 14, 2020
A snowfall warning is in effect Greater Victoria, the Southern Gulf Islands, the Malahat Highway from Goldstream to Mill Bay, west Vancouver Island, inland Vancouver Island and east Vancouver Island, from Courtenay to Campbell River, Duncan to Nanaimo and Nanoose Bay to Fanny Bay. Ten to 20 centimetres is expected over southern Vancouver Island by Wednesday morning, with localized 30 cm accumulations.
Convective flurries have given localized snowfall accumulations of 10 to 15 cm today. further 10 to 15 cm of snow will fall over southern Vancouver Island by Wednesday morning, Environment Canada said.
Environment Canada is reminding drivers that rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow.
Mainroad says north Vancouver Island will be impacted by snow accumulations of 15 to 30 centimetres on Jan. 15, 2020.
Drive BC has numerous road condition alerts across Vancouver Island. On Highway 14 it is snowing between Cerantes Road and Highway 1.
On Highway 1, there are slippery sections between Tolmie Lane and Shawnigan Lake Road due to snow.
On Highway 17, drivers are also advised to watch for slippery sections between Tolmie Avenue and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.
Some of the road conditions listed across Vancouver Island on Jan. 14, 2020.
Weather in the mountains can change suddenly resulting in hazardous driving conditions.
CHEK News
