The lights were out, schools were closed and residents were slow to get to work Wednesday as the Comox Valley received a big blast of winter.

With Courtenay receiving close to 20 centimetres of snow, the Comox Valley dug out of a snowstorm that hit most of Vancouver Island, cutting electrical power from Victoria to Campbell River.

Although snowfall amounts varied, the impact of the storm was felt throughout, as approximately 20,000 BC Hydro customers in the Comox Valley had a service interruption, said spokesperson Stephen Watson.

鈥淲e had a lot of calls, but for most places, power was restored Wednesday,鈥� he noted, adding unless they receive information from a circuit at a substation, BC Hydro must rely on customer calls to indicate power outages.

鈥�(The storm) was very challenging because of the heavy snow and snapping branches on wires. Because the storm was Island-wide, we can often move crews around but we were using all available crews and contractors,鈥� Watson said.

VIA Rail suspended service of the E & N Dayliner to and from Courtenay due to poor track conditions, but resumed service Thursday.

Comox Valley School District 71 closed schools Wednesday, and advised parents Thursday that some students may not be picked up, as some secondary road did not get plowed.

Comox Valley RCMP spokesperson Tammy Douglas noted close to one dozen vehicles were involved in collisions Wednesday.

鈥淒rivers should leave about three times the usual spaces (in inclement weather). On icy, slushy road conditions, drivers need more time to react,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he posted speed limit is for ideal road conditions. Even though the speed limit may be 110 kilometres per hour, that doesn鈥檛 mean you should do 110 kilometres per hour; that is for optimal conditions.鈥�

Those not grumbling about the snow are skiers, as Mount Washington received 45 cm of new snow within the past 48 hours, adding to a base of 510 cm.

Environment Canada predicts showers all day Friday with a high of 11C.

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