At 9:20pm PST the Province confirmed widespread highway closures on all major routes leading to and from the Lower Mainland.

All major routes out of the Lower Mainland are closed. Highway 1 westbound remains open for the time being. There is no anticipated time for reopening. The latest release is here.

As always, the best resource for on-time route information is Drive BC. (www.drivebc.ca )

CBP has advised that the Sumas/Huntington Border crossing is closed to all commercial traffic southbound; however, at this time, northbound commercial traffic is expected to resume at 7:00 am Thursday Dec 11. Members are advised to check CBSA’s border crossing status before heading to that border crossing.

This is being caused by a major, sustained frontal system which will see 80-120mm of rain fall in 36 hours, projected to end overnight. Unlike 2021, this rain event is not coupled with a heavy early season snowpack and high mountain temperatures.

In communications with BC’s Ministry of Transportation this evening, closures thus far have been due to standing and running water on highways from creeks overflowing as well as localized rockslides. However, like 2021, this is occurring overnight, so a clear picture is impossible to obtain. We will know more in daylight.

We can confirm that the entire Sumas Prairie in BC is on evacuation alert. This is a precaution.

We can also confirm that Washington State has declared a statewide state of emergency. The mandatory evacuation orders for areas along the Skagit River do not immediately impact BC residents or highways, but any carrier with operations on the Interstate 5 corridor north of Seattle should be frequently checking Washington State’s real-time highway map (here) and be prepared for disruptions.

We will communicate particulars as they emerge. Again, all carriers are strongly advised to check DriveBC frequently and to be prepared for disruptions.