Thousands without power on B.C.'s South Coast as snow batters the region

More than 30,000 people on B.C.'s South Coast were without power while a bridge connecting parts of Metro Vancouver was closed Tuesday night as snow continued to hit the region.

B.C. Hydro issued a notice advising residents on Hornby Island and Denman Island to prepare to be without power until Wednesday morning, as ferry cancellations means crews cannot get over to make repairs.

"We plan to have crews take the first available ferry in the morning," B.C. Hydro says on its website.

In an interview with CBC, spokesperson Mora Scott said most of the outages seem to be due to snow weighing down trees, and ultimately, taking out power lines.

The Alex Fraser Bridge in Metro Vancouver was also closed Tuesday night following a number of crashes.

A northbound lane opened later in the evening while southbound remained closed, DriveBC said, adding that motorists should expect delays in the area and consider alternate routes.

Snow began falling on B.C.'s South Coast Tuesday afternoon and, combined with high outflow winds in the forecast, could create hazardous driving conditions across much of southwestern B.C.

Up to 25 centimetres of snow is forecast for inland parts of Vancouver Island, with around five to 10 centimetres in southern areas, according to Environment Canada.

Strong southeast winds through the Strait of Georgia, gusting up to 90 km/h, are expected. 

The Sunshine Coast is looking at 10 to 15 centimetres of snow with winds of up to 80 km/h. 

Low-lying areas like Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey and Langley can expect 10 to 15 centimetres of snow overnight.

Higher elevation areas like North Vancouver, Coquitlam and Maple Ridge could see up to 20 centimetres, while Richmond and Delta could expect five to 10 centimetres of snow.

WATCH | Snow falls on B.C.'s South Coast, prompting travel advisories and power outages

Environment Canada also issued winter storm warnings for highway routes including the Sea to Sky, the Coquihalla and the Okanagan Connector, saying heavy snow and strong winds could create near-zero visibility at times.