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- Wednesday - Jan. 29, 2025 - A low snowpack, again
Wednesday - Jan. 29, 2025 - A low snowpack, again

🌧 High #C
Good morning!
Here is a fun bit of old science: In 2014, scientists placed a hamster wheel outside to see whether wild animals would use it. Wouldn’t you know, the scientists observed mice, slugs, rats, shrews, and even frogs get on the wheel and go for a spin. Maybe some accidentally found themselves on the wheel but, just like your pet hamster, others just wanted to have fun: many animals—especially mice—were observed getting off the wheel, then quickly returning. Interesting! But the research was also useful. Wheels and little animals are used in many studies on the effects of physical activity on health. Knowing that animals in nature would voluntarily use wheels legitimizes their use in trials involving captive animals, the scientists wrote.
I just found it interesting—especially after coming across this amusing video of a cat with a night-and-day relationship with their own running wheel.
– Tyler
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Traffic & Weather
🌤 Local forecast: Langley | Chilliwack | Abbotsford | Hope
🚘 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google, and find DriveBC’s latest updates.
🛣 Click here for links to road cameras across the Fraser Valley, including those for the Coquihalla, Highway 7, Hope-Princeton, Fraser Canyon, and Highway 1 in Langley and Abbotsford.
NEWS
Lytton plots a $26 million community hub

A proposed new community hub in Lytton would have meeting rooms and facilities inside, and a covered community gathering area outside. 📷 Village of Lytton
As post-fire Lytton slowly begins to take shape, the municipality is plotting two major construction projects at the heart of the village.
With more than two-dozen building permits issued in the village core last year and new homes springing up on a regular basis, residents are finally returning both to the community, and officials are beginning to plan the reconstruction of two key government buildings.
Related
Need to Know
🐱 Langley City may limit homes to a maximum number of cats [Langley Advance Times]
👉 A judge blasted a realtor who took money from clients and used it to buy an Aldergrove home [Vancouver Sun]
🔊 Harrison Hot Springs’ mayor says he hopes to provide an update on Hobo Hot Springs next week [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]
📽 Abbotsford Police released footage from a helicopter used to track a vehicle that fled from officers last year [Abbotsford Police/Facebook]
🏒 Aldergrove’s PJHL team has lost their 43rd and 44th consecutive game on the weekend [Aldergrove Star]
🚒 The FVRD might give a small boost to the modest pay earned by the Chilliwack River Valley fire department’s chief [Fraser Valley Today]
🚔 Thieves stole phones and laptops from a downtown Mission store last week [Mission Record]
📝 Chilliwack bylaw officers issued more than twice as many tickets last year than in 2023 [Fraser Valley Today]
👏 Search and rescue officials applauded the preparedness of a hiker who was injured near Harrison [Agassiz-Harrison Observer]
🔥 Chilliwack council discussed banning continuous-flame lighters at its meeting yesterday [Chilliwack Progress] / Council passed the motion unanimously [City of Chilliwack/YouTube]
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The Agenda

BC’s mountain snowpack is well below normal, but still larger than last year. (Click image for larger version) 📷 BC River Forecast Centre
BC Snowpack below normal—but higher than last year
An exceptionally dry winter has once again left river and snowpack levels below normal.
Although the province’s snowpack entered January at normal levels, a lack of snow since then has left snowpack levels at about 88% of normal as of mid-January. There is still more snow in the mountains than last year, which had the lowest snowpack on record until early May, when cool temperatures resulted in a relatively slow melt.
January is typically the snowiest month in BC’s mountains. By the middle of the month, about half of the year’s total accumulation has usually fallen. The coming week is expected to bring more snow to the province’s mountains—and potentially the Fraser Valley.
Snow is currently forecast for Sunday and Monday in Chilliwack, with a potential for the white stuff even earlier.
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🗓 Things to do
Home expo: The Fraser Valley Home and Backyard Living Expo returns to the Abbotsford Tradex from Friday to Sunday. Admission is free. Details online.
Art class: Aldergrove's Art in the Country hosts a six-week figure drawing class starting on Saturday at 11am. Registration is $160 for the six Saturday sessions. Professional models, coffee, boards, and chairs are provided. Email [email protected] for details.
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Catch up
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