Snowstorm sweeps through the Comox Valley

WATCH: Heavy snowfall resulted in a day off for students, but also run on shovels at local retailers. Dean Stoltz reports.

The official snowfall total by 2 a.m. Monday morning at Comox Airport was just eight centimetres. But just a few minutes down the road, things looked a lot different.

“I just measured five inches in the back yard,” said Comox resident Eve Bedard.

But this year, much to the relief of amateur shovellers in Comox, the snow was light and fluffy.

“Snow that we typically get I call ‘heart attack’ snow and in all seriousness I’ve known people who were out shovelling snow and they suffer a heart attack so you’ve got to be careful but this stuff is light, easy to deal with so get on it right away,” said Richard Bedard.

And while the snow might be light, the roads were still slippery and covered enough that Monday morning all public schools in the Comox Valley were closed.

Classes at North Island College’s Comox Valley campus were also cancelled because of snowy conditions.

Municipal Public Works crews were out in full force trying to get the snow swept before the next storm hits Monday night.

Highways contractor MainRoad North Island was also trying to make as much progress before the next snowfall.

“We’re coming out of this one but we’re still full-on cleaning up the side roads, sanding the side roads getting ready for the next one,” said Operations Manager Leon Bohmer. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to get some sand on all the hills and curves ahead of getting the next dump of snow.”

There was also a sprint for snow shovels Monday. The manager of Canadian Tire in Courtenay Keith Pistell says his store sold 250 shovels before the clock hit noon.

Salt is also suddenly a hot commodity.

“There were a half a dozen people outside the front doors when we opened this morning and just one after the other, single file they went right up to the salt,” he said.

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