iN TRAFFIC: Watch for slippery sections on Coquihalla, connector

Thompson-Okanagan area highways should be mostly fine today but there are a few hazards to be aware of.

The Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt has slippery sections from 6 km south of the Great Bear Snowshed to 29 km south of Merritt, according to DriveBC.

The rest of the highway through to Kamloops is not reported to have any problems until travellers on Highway 1 reach 15 km east of Chase where slippery sections continue through to 8 km west of Sicamous.

There are slippery sections on the entire Okanagan Connector from Merritt to West Kelowna.

Highway 3 has slippery sections from 32 km west of Princeton to Hedley.

Travel on most highways should be good today, Dec. 13, with 60-70% chance of flurries but not until late afternoon or early evening.

There is only a 40% chance of flurries this evening and overnight on Highway 1 from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass.

It’s looking like a white Christmas this year but cold.

While temperatures in the region have climbed to the freezing level or above over the weekend, that’s not expected to continue.

Environment Canada forecasts a high today in Kamloops of -3 Celsius with an overnight low of -6 and a 60% chance of snow flurries late this afternoon.

That’s the warmest day through Christmas with, according to AccuWeather, about a 50% chance of snow from Dec. 21 through the Dec. 24. It shows daytime highs dropping as low as -16 C on Dec. 21 but warming to -7 C for Christmas Day.

Kelowna and Vernon are facing highs of -2 C today, an overnight low of -6 C and a 30% chance of flurries tonight.

AccuWeather shows a 60% chance of snow in Kelowna on Dec. 21 with a high temperature of -16 C, warming to -7 C on Christmas Day.

Penticton is forecast to reach -1 C today and -3 C overnight with a 30% chance of flurries.

Sun Peaks Ski Resort has only received 1 cm of snow in the last 48 hours. It has a mid-mountain temperature of -3 Celsius and an alpine base of 89 cm.

At Silver Star Mountain Resort there has been no new snow for the last 48 hours. It is -10 C and the alpine base is 117 cm.

Big White Ski Resort has a temperature of -9 C, no new snow and an alpine base of 101 cm.

Apex Mountain Resort had 6 cm of snow in the last 48 hours, is at -7 C and has an alpine base of 119 cm.

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