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Snow coats Lower Mainland; School closures, traffic delays define Friday

Schools in Mission, Abbotsford and private schools in Vancouver, Surrey are closed. 15 cm of snow is expected to turn into rain later today.
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Snow covered Vancouver's Kits Beach on Friday morning.


The Lower Mainland has been treated with a coat of white fluff, and Environment Canada issued a "snow warning" for the region that it has held up through Friday morning.

The organization has estimated 15 cm of snow for B.C.'s inland, with "lesser amounts" near the coast. (Read the alert from Environment Canada here.)

"As the wind picks up later this morning, snow should change to rain near the immediate coast," Environment Canada reported at 4:12 a.m. "However, further inland and over higher terrain, snowfall accumulations will reach 10 cm or more before tapering off to drizzle by late this afternoon.

"Meanwhile, the same frontal system is expected to give another 10 to 15 cm of snow over Central Coast – inland sections today."

Rain is expected to return later on Friday.

CTV News reported several accidents over Thursday night and Friday morning as a result of the snowfall, which "snarled" traffic and the journey to work.

Mission's School District has cancelled classes, while schools in nearby Chilliwack remain open. Schools in Campbell River's district (on Vancouver Island) have also been closed, as well as private/independent schools like Vancouver's Little Flower Academy, York House Elementary, Collingwood, and Vancouver College. Surrey's closures include Star of the Sea and Holy Cross.

The Abbotsford News has reported school closures in their districts, with Friday closures at "all Mennonite Educational Institute schools; Abbotsford Christian campuses, St. James and St. Ann's school, and Cornerstone Christian school."

(Full a full list of reported school closures, see the CBC.)