Wednesday January 17, 2024 | LANGFORD, BC [Updated January 18, 2024]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
There is snowfall in the Greater Victoria area today but with nearly zero wind. It makes for a nice quiet picturesque snow day for many.
Temperatures are hovering around 0°C, so the snow is not likely to last more than a day or two. Wind at just 6 km/h at 11 am.
People had advance notice of this snowfall event thanks to advanced weather forecasting and some advisories from various levels of government.
Some details:
- Coast Capital Savings: Some of our branches are delayed in opening or closed today due to severe snow conditions in some regions.
- Royal Roads University: “Due to deteriorating conditions, we are closing the campus. Please exit via Belmont gate on College Drive. Habitat Café will remain open until 1 p.m.”
- Camosun College: Campuses have been open in the morning but are closing at noon today (all classes and services are cancelled for the remainder of the day). Earlier the post was: “Please plan ahead by giving yourself extra time to travel and keep warm. Grounds crews are on site and will continue to work on maintaining campus throughout the day. In the event the situation changes we will provide an update.” | Also closing at noon on Thurs Jan 18.
- University of Victoria: closed at 1 pm on Thurs Jan 18 due to snow being “more than forecasted”.
- BC Transit: Their Customer Alert platform on their website is currently offline; updates cannot be sent to customers by email. Go to Facebook, Instagram and X for most up to date information.
- Canada Post: service suspended on Vancouver Island today. No deliveries on Jan 17. On Jan 18: deliveries where possible.
- District of North Saanich: municipal office closed today.
- District of Sooke: issued a weather advisory yesterday, with info on road maintenance program
Capital Regional District:
- Curbside recycling collection is cancelled for all scheduled routes on January 17 (and January 18), 2024. Residents are asked to hold their recycling items until their next collection day.
- Hartland Landfill is open but road conditions in the area could be challenging. | Updates: CRD Alerts
- Port Renfrew water system: Experiencing low water pressure, says Capital Regional District (CRD). Potential leaks in the system. Residents are asked to conserve water (avoid washing dishes or doing laundry).
Schools:
- School District 61: Schools are open and buses are running. This is for schools in Greater Victoria 61.
- School District 62: School buses are cancelled today but schools are open. This is for schools in Colwood, Langford, Sooke and Metchosin. An email notice has been sent to families. | January 18 (continued snowfall): “Schools will remain open this afternoon to ensure that all students have a safe, supervised place to be for the remainder of the day.”
- School District 63: All Saanich schools are closed today due to significant snowfall in some areas. Most side streets are not plowed and more snow is expected through the day.
Rain is next to come:
A mix of snow and rain is in the forecast for tomorrow (January 18) and from there it’s several days of rain, according to the Environment Canada weather forecast for Greater Victoria.
===== RELATED:
- Canada Post suspends delivery on Vancouver Island due to snow (January 17, 2024)
- Port Renfrew residents to conserve water during cold weather (January 17, 2024)
- Snow flurries coming after cold weekend (January 12, 2024)