Snow cancels bus routes as travel advisories lifted on Vancouver Island

Roads are being affected by overnight snowfall on southern Vancouver Island Thursday.

BC Transit is alerting riders that five routes in the Greater Victoria area have been cancelled due to the winter conditions.

The routes include the 13, 35, 43, 63, and 64.

More than 20 other routes in the region have been detoured due to icy roads, says BC Transit.

All BC Transit routes in the Cowichan Valley have also been cancelled Thursday.

The bus operator says transit supervisors across Victoria are monitoring conditions and changes to routes are to be expected as the day unfolds and road conditions change.

HandyDART services are still running in Victoria but only for essential trips, such as medical appointments.

Travellers are encouraged to check the BC Transit website for the latest updates. Riders can also sign up for notifications for specific routes.

Snow blanketed much of B.C.'s south coast overnight, with between 10 and 25 centimetres of snow falling in southern Vancouver Island.

On Thursday morning, Environment Canada lifted all but a handful of snowfall warnings that were posted across B.C. on Wednesday, but road workers are still encouraging travellers to be cautious Thursday.

"Expect winter driving conditions and please adjust driving habits accordingly," said Emcon Services Inc., a contract group responsible for maintain roads in the South Island.

With files from The Canadian Press