Yesterday evening’s drop in temperatures made sure the snow finally arrived on the South Island, creating some chaos on the roads in the Greater Victoria Area.
The snowfall warning issued by Environment Canada that cautioned travel on the Malahat Highway was lifted this morning.
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- Hwy 1 at South Shawnigan Lake Road, looking north. (elevation: 327 metres)
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- Hwy 1, in Goldstream Park at Finlayson Arm Rd, looking north. (elevation: 13 metres)
BC Transit will be cancelling or heavily modifying several of its routes due to the adverse road conditions in the region.
⚠️🌨️ #YYJ #RiderAlert – due to snowfall, please expect delays, detours & cancellations today (Feb. 23).
Get #RiderAlerts at 💻 https://t.co/lLVrZGDJ42 or 📞 250-382-6161. Thanks for your patience and we apologize for any inconvenience.— BC Transit – Victoria (@victoriatransit) February 23, 2023
The following routes have been adjusted:
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R-22 Not servicing Hastings/Holland or Little Wilkinson. Routing via Burnside Rd West/Helmcken.
R-47 No Gorman/Goldie/Thetis Heights Service Millstream use roundabout
R-48 No Cairndale/Stornoway
R-50 WB from Jacklin, L-Kelly, L-VMP, L-Langford Parkway, R-Phipps
R-52 No Bear Mountain, Stornoway or Lagoon Now servicing Cairndale
R-53 Not running.
R-54 No William Head/Duke/Lombard or Latoria
R-55 No William Head/Duke/Lombard or Latoria
R-56 Not running.
R-57 No Gourman/Goldie. Use Millstream roundabout to turn around
R-59 Not running.
R-60 Not running.
R-61 from Jacklin, R-Kelly, L-VMP, L-Langford Parkway, R-Phipps
R-83 Not servicing Beaver Lake/Quayle. Routing via Interurban/West Saanich.
In the announcement, BC Transit says its supervisors are working closely to monitor road conditions and will update these routes to reflect road conditions.
While the snow isn’t slated to last, Environment Canada is reporting that it will feel bitterly cold for most of the day, with the wind chill reaching a low of -12.
By noon however, temperatures are expected to rise and the snow is expected to taper off.
Victoria’s 7-day forecast and current conditions as of 7:00 a.m. Feb. 23 | Environment Canada
Currently, there are no traffic incidents to report but road crews are warning drivers to be vigilant this morning as most streets are a mixture of compact snow making for some slippery conditions.
Snowfall begining to taper off for most of South #VanIsle and #GulfIslands. Majority of roads are compact snow, slushy/slippery sections. Temps range from -3°C to -6°C.
Crews are cleaning up roads by priority and applying salt/sand.
Please use caution ⚠️ if driving today pic.twitter.com/SL32k3k7rE
— Emcon Services Inc. – South Island Division (@EmconSouthVI) February 23, 2023
Viewer submitted footage highlights the danger an unexpected snowfall can cause on highways in the Greater Victoria Area with a bus losing traction and coming to a full-stop across several lanes. This incident was recorded just after 9:00 p.m. last night on Highway One, near Thetis Lake.
Roger Collins
