PHENDERSON@CHILLIWACKTIMES.COM

A woman in Chilliwack got the scare of her life Wednesday when her car flipped upside down in a water-filled ditch on Gibson Road.

Just before noon, RCMP members, paramedics and the Chilliwack Fire Department were on the scene of the single-vehicle accident where a northbound Hyundai spun off the right side of the road.

Police rushed to the scene as the woman, using her cellphone, reported that water was flowing into the car.

An officer at the accident site told the Times that the woman had been rescued, was warming up in an ambulance and was going to be fine.

Another officer at the scenee was soaking wet with a cut on his hand that required five stitches. At least four officers went into the water to rescue the woman, according to RCMP spokesperson Cst. Tracy Wolbeck.

Several centimetres of snow led to treacherous driving conditions around Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley.

City crews and snow-clearing equipment were deployed Wednesday on a priority route basis.

"If you are driving, please use extra caution," said a City of Chilliwack Tweet just after noon.

The city also noted that people in homes where curbside garbage collection was missed due to snow are allowed to put out twice the regular amount next week at no extra cost.

The winter weather came as no surprise as a snowfall warning was issued by Environment Canada for Chilliwack Tuesday evening.

Six centimetres (cm) of snow fell overnight, according to Roger Pannett, volunteer weather observer for Environment Canada.

By noon Wednesday Pannett had measured a further 9.6 cm for a total of 15.6 cm, with a temperature just below zero.

With temperatures forecast to be around zero, snow flurries and/or showers were expected for Thursday and Friday.