Snowstorm blankets B.C.'s southern coast

Last Updated: Sunday, November 26, 2006 | 11:25 PM ET

CBC News

A storm blanketing B.C.'s southern coastal areas with up to 30 centimetres of snow was blamed for at least one death Sunday, as well as power outages affecting thousands of residents in the Lower Mainland.

In the Vancouver suburb of Surrey, a passenger was killed when a vehicle crossed the centre line and struck an oncoming vehicle, the RCMP said.

A child plays with a dog in snow-blanketed Victoria on Sunday.
(CBC)

About 14,000 B.C. Hydro customers were without power on Sunday due to storm-related incidents, the Canadian Press reported.

Less than two weeks after a record rainfall fouled their drinking water, residents in Vancouver were forced to contend with about 15 centimetres of snow in less than 24 hours.

Flights delayed, cancelled

The heavy snowfall forced flight delays and cancellations, while other parts of the Lower Mainland were expected to get up to 30 centimetres by late Sunday.

Flights to Toronto, Montreal and Seattle were among those that had to be scrubbed at Vancouver International Airport.

Spokeswoman Jody Holgate advised passengers to check their flight's status before leaving home. Runway crews were on standby for de-icing operations.

While snow fell at higher elevations in the region, there was a mix of snow and rain in Vancouver, which has seen its share of bad weather this month.

High winds and heavy deluges on Nov. 15 not only knocked out power to thousands of people, but prompted a widespread boil water advisory to be issued the next day. On Sunday, it was still in effect for almost 900,000 people.

City scrambles to help homeless

The storm also had officials in Vancouver scrambling to find shelter for the city's homeless.  

Outside one of the stores in downtown Vancouver, panhandler Floyd Carlson tried to keep warm as he asked people for spare change, but was only wearing a thin, worn leather jacket.

"I've been sleeping in parking lots where they have their heat pipes," Carlson told CBC News on Sunday. "That's where I've been staying at night."

The winter conditions have forced many shelters in Greater Vancouver to open emergency beds.

In Vancouver alone, 220 beds were made available Sunday, which should be enough for those on the street caught by the storm, said Grant Gayman, the city's extreme weather response co-ordinator.

"You know it's late November and we've got a snowfall out there," Gayman said. "I wouldn't say this is characteristic of Vancouver weather, but we just respond to the weather forecast as it happens."

But he said the city might have to open up more beds in the next couple of days as temperatures are expected to drop further.

In Victoria, snow-covered roads forced drivers to contend with poor visibility and slippery conditions far from normal for November.

Environment Canada said once the storm tapers off Sunday night, the temperature was expected to drop below freezing — turning any water and slush on the roads into ice.

Meanwhile, extreme wind chill values were in the forecast for the Central Interior and northern B.C. The wind chill in Fort St. John made the temperature feel like -45 C on Sunday morning.