Update 8:05 p.m.
Highway 20 remains closed between Anahim Lake and Bella Coola.
Drive BC says the next update will be at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.
Update 4:30 p.m. Friday
Highway 20 remains closed between Anahim Lake and Bella Coola due to trees on power lines along a 132 km stretch.
DriveBC is reporting limited visibility and not detour available.
The next update will be at 8 p.m. Friday evening.
BC Hydro crews are on site in the Bella Coola Valley where more than 900 customers remain without power.
It is anticipated that residents will be without power overnight.
A Bella Coola resident told the Tribune the rainfall issued for Thursday and Friday resulted in snow falling Friday, which has now turned to rain.
“It’s a total mess out here,” the resident said.
Crews are assigned to an outage in #BellaCoola affecting 917 customers and caused by trees down across our wires. We will share more updates here: https://t.co/dxCZBOOQYK pic.twitter.com/moBFn80OdN
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) November 27, 2020
Original:
A heavy snowfall has closed roads and resulted in power outages for people in the Chilcotin and Bella Coola Valley Friday, Nov. 27.
Highway 20 is also closed from Bella Coola to Anahim Lake due to downed hydro lines.
DriveBC said there is no detour available and the next update will be at 4 p.m. Friday.
There is also a travel advisory in place between Anahim Lake and Tatlayoko Road for 98 kilometres due to limited visibility with heavy snowfall.
“Travellers are advised to exercise caution and consider alternate plans,” DriveBC noted.
BC Hydro crews are responding to power outages in the Anahim Lake area and the Bella Coola Valley due to trees down on lines.
It is anticipated 917 customers will be without power overnight in the Bella Coola Valley, BC Hydro noted on its website.
Additional crews are travelling to support the crews but conditions are making travel and restoration challenging.
“We have received reports of trees on power lines and want to remind customers if you see a fallen power line to stay back at least 10 m and call the local emergency number,” the BC Hydro website noted. “We appreciate your patience and please check back for updates.”
At 12:30 p.m. Friday, Graham West, a member of the Ulkatcho First Nation, messaged the Tribune to say the snow was beginning to change and it was drizzling.
“I’m going to have to shovel the snow off of my roof before it becomes heavier,” he said.
West messaged again at 2 p.m. to say the drizzle had turned to large snowflakes and it was ‘really picking up now.’
“Life in the snowbelt eh,” he added.
Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for the area that went into effect last evening.
Read more: Snowfall warning for Chilcotin expected to last until noon Friday
In the Anahim Lake area more than 64 cm of snow had fallen since a snow warning for the area went into effect on Thursday, Nov. 26.
Read more: VIDEO: More than 60 cm of snowfall in Chilcotin since Thursday, Nov. 26
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