British Columbia’s government is warning residents of treacherous roads, cold temperatures and dangerous avalanche conditions as the year’s first blast of winter settles in.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said after a warm start to winter, the forecast has returned to what is more seasonal and will remain that way for the days and weeks ahead.
After emerging from a series of snow and wind advisories, B.C. is now in for some frigid weather, with a forecast of bitter cold in the northern part of the province with a prediction of -41 C in Fort St. John by Friday night and -7 C for the same time in Vancouver.
The ministry issued a statement Tuesday urging drivers to be prepared for changing road conditions and avoid unnecessary travel in poor weather.
It also said people who use the backcountry need to be mindful of conditions and “use extreme caution in mountainous terrain.”
Avalanche Canada classified the terrain as “very dangerous” for mountains throughout much of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, the Sea to Sky and Fraser Valley regions, as well as the east Kootenay area, including Fernie.
The avalanche forecaster said the danger is high in both the alpine and treeline after more than 30 centimetres of snow and extreme winds created touchy storm slabs ready to come down.
“We are confident the likelihood of avalanche will increase with the arrival of the forecast weather,” Avalanche Canada said in its summary.
RCMP in Merritt cautioned drivers on how quickly conditions on the Coquihalla Highway can change in the winter months.
Mounties said one person died in a crash on the highway Monday.
Police said a Ford pickup truck was travelling south when it crossed into oncoming traffic, hitting a semi-truck and trailer.
Investigators said the driver of the pickup truck was declared dead at the scene, while a passenger was airlifted to hospital.
Videos posted online Tuesday showed vehicles losing traction and sliding down roads in Kamloops, B.C., while others showed whitecap waves crashing into the west coast of Vancouver Island, where thousands woke up without power.
More than 18,000 people were without power at the peak of high winds on Tuesday, mostly in the Lower Mainland, on the Sunshine Coast and on Vancouver Island, including parts of Victoria.
A warning from Environment Canada says very strong winds were expected to persist until this afternoon or this evening over western Vancouver Island, Victoria and the Gulf Islands, bringing gusts up to 90 or 100 kilometres an hour.
Power outages are also affecting several hundred homes in northern and central B.C., as well as the Okanagan, Kootenay, Thompson and Shuswap areas.
Snowfall warnings cover Whistler and swaths of the Interior, extending south from Dawson Creek to Prince George, Revelstoke, Nelson and Fernie.
The weather office has issued a winter storm warning for stretches of highway between Hope and Princeton as well as Merritt, where an additional 20 to 30 centimetres of snow are forecast before the storm is expected to ease Wednesday.
The BC Ferries website shows several cancelled sailings on routes between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, although most appear to be scheduled on time.
READ ALSO: 1 dead, 2 sent to hospital after Coquihalla semi-truck crash
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