Drivers stranded through the night, thousands still without power after snowstorm on B.C.'s South Coast

Thousands of commuters throughout B.C.'s Lower Mainland were stranded in their cars for hours Tuesday after the first major snowfall of the season created travel mayhem across the region.

Some drivers, furious and exhausted, were still stuck after 6 a.m. PT Wednesday on an eastbound section of Highway 91 — a major commuter route connecting New Westminster and Delta just south of Vancouver. Traffic on the highway began moving around 6:45 a.m.

"[I'm] hungry, frustrated," said commuter Jane Tymos, speaking in an interview from her car on hour six in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"If it's bad out in the morning, don't even bother. It's not worth it." 

More than 20,000 homes are still without power Wednesday morning, largely in the north of Vancouver Island. B.C. Hydro crews were unable to reach some outages because ferry service to smaller islands, like Hornby and Denman, were cancelled due to the weather.

A one-two punch of heavy snow and strong winds swept across B.C.'s South Coast on Tuesday. The snow is expected to taper off into rain Wednesday, though roads are still treacherous and weather warnings remain in place in many areas away from the water or at higher elevations.

A snow day has been declared in school districts across the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver, as well as in the Metro Vancouver cities of Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Langley.

Environment Canada said more snow will be accompanied Wednesday morning by strong winds with gusts ranging between 40 and 70 km/h. Non-essential travel should be avoided.

"If it changes from snow to rain the results will be quite messy. [Wednesday] morning, we're looking at some really high impact weather for the Lower Mainland," meteorologist Yimei Li said. 

"The best thing to do is stay at home or stay sheltered during this time. Travelling during a snowstorm is very dangerous," Li said. 

Preliminary snowfall totals ranged from five centimetres in coastal areas like White Rock to more than 20 centimetres on parts of Vancouver Island, according to the agency. Wind speeds ranged from 70 to 100 km/h.

Several flights leaving Vancouver and Abbotsford airports Tuesday and Wednesday have already been cancelled in anticipation of rough weather. 

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has asked travellers to leave extra time to get to the airport and check with airlines for updated flight information. One plane left the runway