Winter won't officially start until Dec. 21, but this week's weather offered a preview of what is still to come.
Flurries arrived on Monday, along with fierce winds with gusts up to 44 km/ hr, according to Environment Canada. And with that wind came a power outage that lasted almost two hours. Power lines came down at Cheam and Evergreen, the intersection at SuperValu, just before 5 p.m. BC Hydro reports that the outage affected 1,550 homes.
The Agassiz Fire Department arrived on scene quickly to secure the area and redirect traffic, as the power line swung around in the howling wind. BC Hydro arrived shortly after to repair the line.
Power was restored just before 7 p.m. to all local houses, and even earlier in some neighbourhoods. Brief power outages were experienced in Harrison Hot Springs as well on Monday night. BC Hydro reports that just one minute after Agassiz lost their power due to the downed line, trees came across wires and knocked out power to 871 homes. Power was restored there by 6 p.m.
Some residents reported seeing a transformer explode on Morrow Rd., and fire crews worked to navigate traffic around it.
And then on Tuesday, a few houses on Cutler Road went without power from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., due to a voltage problem, or overload.
Environment Canada is forecasting a brisk, sunny weekend with full sun and temperatures dipping to -5C, followed by snow on Monday and Tuesday. The normals for Dec. 4 (press time) are 5C maximum, 1C minimum. They've also predicted a colder month for much of B.C. and central Alberta over the next three months.
If you encounter a downed power line this winter, or are in a vehicle accident in which a power line comes down, BC Hydro offers the following safety advice.
• Always assume a downed power line is live and extremely dangerous.
• If you are outside, stay at least one bus length away (10 m) from the power line.
• If you are in a vehicle and able to drive away safely, do so.
• If you are in a vehicle and cannot drive away because your vehicle is damaged or you are injured, stay in your vehicle and wait for help.
If you see a power line down, phone 911. If you are experiencing a power outage, phone 1-888- POWERON (1-888-769-3766) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your cellphone.
For more information about power safety and how to protect your family and your property this winter, visit www.bchydro.com.
To learn more about emergency preparedness, visit www.pep.bc.ca.
news@ahobserver.com