Best of BC

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 26 (UPI) — Travel improved in parts of Canada Friday after being significantly hampered by heavy winter storms during the Christmas holiday, forecasters say.

As more winter weather bore down on British Columbia, both the TransLink and West Coast Express transport groups announced operations were finally running normally. the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said Thursday.

The improvement comes after reports of road, air and railway delays during the holiday week in parts of Canada hit worst by winter weather.

Nova Scotia residents had electrical power once again after inclement weather on Christmas Day left nearly 10,000 Nova Scotia Power customers in the dark.

Canwest News Service said the holiday airline backlog was also finally clearing up.

“Today, all runways are clear and operational,” Vancouver Airport Authority spokeswoman Rebecca Catley said.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/12/26/Canadian_travel_regroups_from_icy_weather/UPI-46711230320882/

The first day of winter brought wind-chill warnings, snow and a bevy of storms to cities across Canada on Sunday, potentially laying the groundwork for the first cross-country white Christmas in nearly four decades.

Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips told CTV Newsnet that “it looks like a very good chance” it will be a white Christmas for all parts of Canada for the first time since 1971.

“It’s just sort of the beginning of winter, and it’s a little much to expect when we have so many different climatic types in this country for it to be frozen and snow-covered from right across the huge country,” he told CTV Newsnet on Sunday. (more…)