Avalanche control to cause delays on Interior highways

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – If heading east is in your long weekend plans, allow a couple of extra hours to travel.

Drive B.C. reports Highway 1 will be closed for avalanche control west of Revelstoke from 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. today, Feb. 5, while Highway 3 will be closed west of Creston, through Kootenay Pass, tomorrow morning from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Avalanche Canada is forecasting a moderate to considerable risk of avalanche throughout the Interior this weekend, with the alpine level of Glacier National Park expected to reach a high risk Saturday. 

Meanwhile a heavy snowfall warning has been issued for Highway 5 from Hope to Merritt and Highway 3 from Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass. Up to 20 centimetres of snow is expected at the highway passes, along with heavy rain and freezing temperatures which could cause icy conditions. 

A total of 10 to 15 cm is expected to fall at Allison Pass on Highway 3 and Pennask Summit on Highway 97C before tomorrow morning, while up to 20 cm is expected on Highway 1 from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass.

In town we can expected temperatures to be above freezing at a few degrees above seasonal normals this weekend along with a chance of flurries or rain through tonight in the Okanagan.

Check Drive B.C. for current highway conditions and closures.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.