A blast of winter created chaos in the Lower Mainland Monday morning, as snow, ice and freezing temperatures forced schools closures and traffic delays.
In addition to the usual slips and slides on an icy morning, a car caught fire in Coquitlam after spinning out on a snowy road. Bystanders said no one was injured.
In the Fraser Valley, a jack-knifed semi closed Highway 1 at the 264 street overpass, blocking eastbound traffic for hours. Westbound traffic was open by about 6 a.m.
Further east, the highway was closed between Hope and Chilliwack following a 30-car pileup.
In Vancouver, a video circulating on social media showed a bus skidding and hitting a bus stop pole near Adanac and Commercial streets, while ice buildup on the SkyTrain rails caused sparks to fly. Along East Hastings Street, even snowplows were getting stuck.
READ MORE: Major Highway 1 issues in between Langley and Abbotsford
READ MORE: Highway 1 open after extreme weather leads to 30-vehicle crash
Despite the mayhem, many schools and universities remain open.
CLOSED:
- Mission School District
- Chilliwack School District
- West Vancouver schools
- University of the Fraser Valley
OPEN:
- UBC
- SFU
- Surrey schools
- Langley schools
- Vancouver School District
- Maple Ridge School District
