More snow, frigid temperatures forecast for Metro Vancouver. Is the region ready?

B.C.'s South Coast bracing for winter storm Southern B.C. is bracing for another winter storm set to arrive this weekend and it's forecast to last for days.

A snow event two weeks ago crippled Metro Vancouver’s roads, bridges and highways, leaving some drivers stranded for hours.

In terms of road preparations, neither the City of Vancouver nor TransLink have said what steps are being taken to prevent a repeat. And with another round of winter weather forecast for this weekend into next week, will the region fare better this time?

Environment Canada is forecasting rain showers or snow Saturday night before temperatures drop below freezing until Thursday. Meteorologist Alyssa Charbonneau said some precipitation is possible but it’s too soon to say how much snow the region may get.

“Right now it’s very uncertain, we do have periods of snow or a chance of flurries,” Charbonneau said, adding Saturday’s rain could turn to ice.

“Anytime you have water accumulating on the ground followed by temperatures dropping, of course icy conditions become a concern,” she said.

A City of Vancouver spokesperson was unavailable for an interview Thursday, her office telling CTV News she was planning the operational response. In a statement, Amy Sidwall, manager of street operations said the city “takes snow and ice treatment seriously and has a winter maintenance plan that includes street salting, brining, plowing, and enforcement.”

There was no mention of when the salt and brining operations would begin, but the city said they are “initiated when ice or snowy conditions are forecast.”

TransLink’s spokesperson was also unavailable for an interview. In a statement, the transit provider said most of the bus delays seen during the last snow storm were due to “gridlocked traffic around the region,” not buses being stuck in snow.

The statement also said TransLink is planning for better communication so operators are aware of which roads require extra salting and plowing.

“We have recently doubled phone line capacity at our snow desk within the communications centre. This allows twice as many operators to communicate with dispatchers.”

Surrey Coun. Linda Annis was among the drivers stuck in her car for hours on Nov. 30. Less than a week later, she and New Westminister Coun. Daniel Fontaine called for a “snow summit” to discuss what went wrong.

Annis told CTV News she sent letters a week ago and hasn’t heard back. She plans to follow up on Friday.