The Port Mann Bridge has been shut down in both directions because of falling ice from the bridge, which injured a motorist.
"The closure was necessary because falling ice from the bridge injured a motorist who required ambulance attendance, and damaged vehicles," says Sgt. Peter Thiessen, spokesperson for LMD Traffic Services.
"The bridge was closed for safety reasons, and will be re-opened as soon as the weather situation improves," said Thiessen.
One person was knocked unconscious by falling ice, reports say. As many as 40 vehicles were damaged, some with broken windshields and mirrors.
RCMP Sgt. Roland Pierschke, a spokesman for the Port Mann Freeway Patrol, said sometime before 1 p.m. large chunks of ice began falling off either the towers or cables on the bridge.
Around the region there were also school closures, ferry and flight cancellations and dangerous driving conditions.
Simon Fraser University and all Douglas College campuses were closed. BCIT and the University of B.C. remained open, but students struggled to get to classes on time as bus drivers pulled over and waited for the roads to be cleared of ice and snow.
All public schools were open, except University Highlands elementary school at SFU. Many private elementary and secondary schools were closed.
High winds forced BC Ferries to cancel sailings on all major routes, including runs between Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay and Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay.
Spokeswoman Deborah Marshall said staff were hoping the weather would improve enough to resume sailings at 3 p.m. She added that wind speed Wednesday morning was in excess of 40 knots, raising concern for the comfort and safety of passengers.
Icy, snowy weather conditions caused some flight delays and cancellations at Vancouver International Airport, according to a statement posted Wednesday morning on the airport website. Passengers were advised to check with their airline well before their scheduled departure time.
For the second morning in a row, the roads and bridges were slick with ice and wet snow, and police agencies across Metro Vancouver tweeted messages urging caution.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue is warning the public to be extremely cautious walking underneath large trees because of the heavy snow.
Firefighters have responded to a number of calls today where limbs have broken off and fallen to the ground, said Vancouver Fire and Rescue spokesman Gaber Roder.
Fortunately at this point there are no injuries to report, he said.
Snow flurries mixed with rain in Vancouver led to an ice buildup on some roads, wreaking havoc for bus drivers.
TransLink cancelled bus service to SFU, while students were having trouble getting to classes at UBC on buses travelling on the West Side of Vancouver.
"We've had tons of reports that it is a proverbial skating rink out there," said Derek Zabel, a spokesman for TransLink. "Bus drivers are pulling over and waiting for the road to be cleared."
He said there was about a 30 to 45 minute delay on buses heading to UBC, including the 99 B-line, and that the buses that were running were slowed by traffic congestion.
As a result, UBC staff announced that all exams scheduled for noon or later Wednesday were cancelled.
The city of Vancouver closed several roads on the West Side because they were a sheet of ice, including Oak Street from Broadway to 6th Avenue and Spruce and Alder Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue.
HandyDart cut back to essential service in New Westminster, Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Vancouver and Richmond.
Zabel said there were numerous bus delays throughout Surrey and Delta, with some buses running up to 30 minutes behind schedule. He urged transit riders to allow extra time and dress warm because "you could be waiting for your bus longer today."
No major problems were reported on SkyTrain, said Zabel, and the West Coast Express ran on schedule.
In Vancouver, the snow was forecast to switch to rain late morning, while inland, it was expected to ease later in the afternoon, said Environment Canada meteorologist Matt MacDonald.
He said, as of Wednesday morning, the amounts of snow had varied in different parts of the region, with five centimetres in Vancouver and North Vancouver and 20 centimetres in Surrey.
The cold weather is supposed to warm up on Thursday, he added, and then another cooling trend will hit the region on the weekend.
"So we could see another mix of rain and snow on Saturday, but at the moment it's not looking as bad as this one."
As for Christmas on Tuesday, MacDonald said there's a "good storm" on the way, but that in all likelihood it will be a rain storm with no snow.
Meanwhile, as temperatures continued to hover around the freezing mark, all four of the city of Vancouver's emergency shelters were at capacity Wednesday, providing an extra 160 spaces for homeless people to sleep.
"These shelters are critical for making sure people are safe this winter and are connected with services that can help them into new homes," said Mayor Gregor Robertson, in a statement Wednesday.
"They are not a permanent solution, but the shelters can be the first step for getting people off the street and into a warm, safe place to sleep.
Robertson said last year 40 people were moved from winter shelters to permanent housing.
Environment Canada issued a significant snowfall warning Tuesday urged motorists and pedestrians to exercise extreme caution and adjust travel plans in areas affected by the weather warning.
A wind warning was also issued for parts of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, with gusts of up to 70 kilometres an hour expected.
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