High energy weather brings violent winds, knocks out power, shuts route in B.C.

People walk along a sidewalk as waves and debris crash into the breakwater below Dallas Rd. in Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

An unusual low-pressure system moving in from the Pacific brought extreme winds and snow to higher elevations in southern B.C., an Environment Canada meteorologist said on Thursday.

Terri Lang said the system brought strong winds, lightning strikes and heavy snow in B.C.’s highway passes, including the Coquihalla Highway.

“We don’t see them very often, but it had a lot of energy associated with it,” she said of the system that moved through late Wednesday and early Thursday.

The Coquihalla Highway was shut down in both directions north of Hope because of a vehicle incident, but DriveBC, the provincial road information system, said the route had reopened by Thursday afternoon.

BC Hydro said roughly 17,000 customers had lost power since Wednesday night across the Lower Mainland, while lights remained out for thousands on the Sunshine Coast, the Fraser Valley, Okanagan and Kootenay regions as of Thursday afternoon.

The utility said crews worked through the night to address the widespread outages, and work will continue Thursday repairing downed lines.

Hope Fire Chief Thomas Cameron said the service responded to about 14 calls for downed wires and trees.

Fire crews did not respond to any vehicle accidents and were continuing with cleanup on Thursday, Cameron said.

Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth said maintenance crews were well-prepared with snow plows and other equipment as they clean up from the windy and snowy aftermath.

He said drivers should check DriveBC for conditions before they head out on the roads.

“It’s not spring. Especially on the Coquihalla,” Farnworth told reporters in Victoria Thursday. “Don’t drive like an idiot.”

Environment Canada said peak wind gusts of 139 km/h were reported in Hope, while Abbotsford recorded gusts at speeds up to 85 km/h.

High winds were also reported across southern Vancouver Island, where Victoria’s Gonzales Point recorded a peak gust of 106 km/h.

Lang said the Coquihalla Summit saw wind gusts of 87 km/h.

BC Ferries cancelled several sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay and reduced service to two vessels on Wednesday due to high winds in the Strait of Georgia, spokesperson Akriti Tyagi said in an email.

Tyagi said the ferry service added an extra round trip on Wednesday evening to accommodate customers.

“As conditions can change quickly during severe weather, we encourage customers to check their sailing status before leaving home,” she said.

Lang said that while the low-pressure system has since made its way into Alberta and Saskatchewan, remaining moisture is “enhancing” snowfall at B.C.’s mountain passes.

“I don’t have any numbers for you quite yet because it’s still snowing,” she said.

This report by Marissa Birnie of The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026.