Snowstorm halts flights at Vancouver airport

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Snow and arctic winds forced the suspension of all flights at Vancouver International Airport and winter weather is playing havoc with transportation across the southern part of Canada’s Pacific coast province of British Columbia.  Officials with the Ministry of Transportation say as much as 30 centimeters (12 inches) of snow had covered parts of southern Vancouver Island while Metro Vancouver dealt with up to 25 centimeters (10 inches). Vancouver International Airport temporarily suspended all incoming and outgoing flights early Tuesday, holding departing aircraft at their gates and stranding passengers aboard some arriving flights for hours, as those planes had no place to go.