Winter storm bringing heavy snow to mountain passes

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – It wouldn’t be the weekend without a warning from Environment Canada about heavy snow on the highways through B.C. Interior mountain passes.

A heavy snowfall warning has been issued today, Dec. 12, as a strong Pacific frontal system is expected to start crossing over the Interior this afternoon.

Forecasters say people heading to or from Vancouver will encounter heavy snow, between 15 to 25 centimetres by tomorrow morning, in the mountain passes.

The warning covers the Coquihalla Highway from Merritt to Hope and Highway 3 from Princeton to Hope, including the Allison Pass, and eastbound through the Kootenay Pass and the Paulson Summit.

“Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow,” according to the warning. “Public Safety Canada encourages everyone to make an emergency plan and get an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit and a flashlight.”

In the valley bottoms throughout the Thompson-Okanagan you can expect an assortment of precipitation over the weekend. Everything from rain, snow mixed with rain, or flurries. Temperatures will remain above normal for this time of year with daytime highs around 5 Celsius and overnight lows around 0 C.

The same weather system is behind wind warnings on the South Coast and Vancouver Island.

For the latest warnings and forecasts go to Environment Canada’s website.

The latest road conditions can be found at Drive B.C.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.