Snow plays havoc with Victoria bus routes

Snow is seen falling in Nanaimo, B.C.: Jan. 10, 2020 (CTV News)

Several BC Transit routes in Greater Victoria have been altered on Tuesday due to icy weather and road conditions.

BC Transit says it's "closely monitoring road conditions" and will update riders as soon as possible if there are more service impacts.

As of 2:15 p.m., the following routes have been changed due to weather Tuesday:

• R-21 – Regular Route
• R-22 – Regular Route
• R-30 – Regular Route
• R-52 – Not servicing Bear Mountain (using new roundabout Millstream @ Bear Mtn)
• R-54/55 - Regular Route
• R-56/57 - Not servicing Gourman/Goldie
• R-59/60 - Regular Route
• R-75 – Regular Route on Tanner Ridge
• R-75 – Not Servicing Benvenuto or Butchart Gardens. SB R-75 will service West Saanich/Wallace and use roundabout to get turned around
• R-81 – Not Servicing Benvenuto or Butchart Gardens
• R-83 – Not servicing Beaver Lake/Quayle Rd
• R-83 – Not servicing Verdier
• R-85 – Not servicing Madrona Loop, Derrick to Wain to West Saanich
• R-87 – Not servicing Dean Park 

For the latest service updates, BC Transit recommends checking its website, or using the NextRide or Transit app on mobile devices.

Riders can also set up email notifications for specific routes on the BC Transit website here.

"Our team will be working hard to get customers to their destination safely and we ask people to please leave more time for their journey," said BC Transit in a release Tuesday.

"BC Transit appreciates the patience of our customers during this time."

Snowfall warnings are in effect for almost all regions of Vancouver Island on Tuesday, except for in Western Vancouver Island and Greater Victoria.

In Greater Victoria, Environment Canada has issued a less severe special weather statement related to snow, though it has posted a wind warning for the region, with wind gusts of up to 70 to 90 km/h expected in the region overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.

On the Malahat highway, snowfall totals of about two to four centimetres are expected overnight Tuesday.