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

VANCOUVER — 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.

The Coquihalla Highway remained shut on Thursday and power was out for thousands of BC Hydro customers across Vancouver Island and southern B.C.

DriveBC, the provincial road information system, says the Coquihalla was closed about 12 km north of Hope due to a “vehicle incident.”

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.”

DriveBC also said the gusts knocked down trees along parts of Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley, and that drivers should use extreme caution if they have to travel.

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 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, Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Thompson and Kootenay regions and on Vancouver Island.

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

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 The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026.