All schools in Hope have closed today (Jan. 11) after receiving a blanket of snow on Wednesday night (Jan. 10).
School District 78 (SD78) have closed Hope Secondary School (HSS), Coquihalla Elementary School (CES), Silver Creek Elementary School (SCES), Two Rivers Education Centre (TREC) “due to an abundance of caution and white out conditions beyond the scales.” The district also said that school buses for the area are not running.
However schools and buses in Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs, and Boston Bar — which are part of SD78 — are still open and running today.
SD78 made the announcement on their website this morning after Environment Canada (EC) issued an arctic outflow warning, with wind chill values predicted to be near -20 degrees Celsius, for Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria, Fraser Valley and the Southern Gulf Islands
EC also said, on their website, that Hope should expect an additional 10 centimetres to 15 centimetres of snow later today.
“Arctic air combined with strong outflow winds gusting to 60 kilometres per hour will generate wind chill values of minus 20 degrees Celsius beginning tonight,” EC said. “Wind chill values may moderate on Saturday afternoon but uncertainty remains on the timing of the warm-up.
“Frostbite and hypothermia can occur within minutes if adequate precautions are not taken when outdoors. Any skin exposure will result in frostbite. If outside, dress warmly in layers and stay dry. Cover as much exposed skin as possible to avoid frostbite.”
To get updates about weather conditions, readers can visit the EC website.
READ MORE: Wind chill expected to dip to -20 C for Lower Mainland this weekend
@KemoneMoodley
kemone.moodley@hopestandard.com
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