iN TRAFFIC: Brace for another extremely cold day in the Interior

Environment Canada is warning many British Columbians of another bitterly cold day.

Extreme cold warnings have been extended for the North Thompson, South Thompson, Shuswap, North Okanagan, Central Okanagan and Similkameen, and the Nicola region has been put under warning. Temperatures are going to feel like -35 Celsius with windchill in this areas.

“A very cold arctic air mass has settled over the region,” according to the warning.

“Temperatures will gradually rise this afternoon for most regions.”

Drivers can expect trips to take longer than usual today, Dec. 22.

A vehicle incident had closed Highway 3 in both directions this morning between Garret Road and Saturday Creek, 40 kilometres west of Princeton. The road has been cleared and the route has been reopened.

Elsewhere, Highway 5 has compact snow between the Great Bear Snowshed and Kamloops, Highway 8 is open to local traffic only between the start of the highway and Aberdeen Road; Highway 97C has compact snow and slippery sections from West Kelowna to Merritt; and Highway 97D has compact snow and slippery sections throughout.

Charles Andrews commuted to Armstrong from Sicamous on Highway 97A this morning. Around 6 a.m. It was mostly dry and bare from Armstrong to Mara, and there was compact snow and ice along Mara Lake.

“The temperature was a very cold -33 C in Armstrong,” Andrews said. “Warmed up to -29 C in Enderby then up to -23 C along the Lake… it is cold out there is possibly the greatest understatement of the day.”

Temperatures today in Kamloops will start at -28 C and rise to -22 C, albeit that does not account for windchill. In Vernon and Kelowna it will warm from -26 C to -20 C throughout the day. And in Penticton things will go from -19 C to -17 C, and snow is expected to begin around 11 p.m. tonight.

At the ski hills, Big White Mountain Resort is reporting no new snow but 26 centimetres over the past week. There has been 2 cm at Sun Peaks Ski Resort over the past week; SilverStar Mountain Resort last got 7 cm on Dec. 21; and Apex Mountain Resort is reporting 19 cm of snow in the past 48 hours.

—Story updated at 8:47 a.m. Dec. 22 to say a car crash on Highway 3 was cleared.

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