Windchills could reach -50 C in Southern Interior mountain passes

Extreme cold warnings have been issued for the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Kamloops and the Okanagan Connector.

“An extremely cold Arctic ridge lies over BC,” the Environment Canada warning says. “Temperatures between -25 Celsius to -35 C in combination with winds of 20 km/h gusting to 40 km/h will create dangerous wind chill values between -40 C and -50 C. These wind chill values are expected to moderate on Sunday as the temperatures moderate.”

Another warning for Highway 1 from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass says wind chills there could reach -35 C.

READ MORE: Kamloops, Okanagan temperature records not threatened by cold snap

The Environment Canada online forecast showed a temperature in Kamloops at 6 a.m. today, Jan.12, of -24 C. It could “warm up” to -20 C under sunny skies today before dropping to -27 C overnight.

Wind gusts of up to 50 km/h could bring windchills of -39 C this morning and -33 C this afternoon and into the evening.

The Okanagan is slightly warmer with Vernon reading -22 C, Kelowna at -18 C and Penticton at -21 C. The overnight low tonight is expected to hit -25 C.

Saturday is forecast to be almost as cold with a high of -21 C in Kamloops and an overnight low of -25 C. Sunday’s high is forecast to only be -17 C with a gradual warming to a high of -8 C by Thursday.

The high temperature in the Okanagan is expected to be around -19 C tomorrow with a slow rise to -7 C by Thursday.

Winds of 20 km/h could bring windchills of -34 C to the Okanagan today and -27 C tonight.

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