Get ready for the snow

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – There have been small amounts of snow on mountain passes already this fall, but it hasn’t lasted long or accumulated enough for many people to really take note.

Thursday morning Highway 97C saw warnings of slushy and slippery sections near the Pennask Summit and Environment Canada issued a special weather statement warning of snow on highway passes later tonight with cooler temperatures and precipitation in the forecast.

Rain could switch to snow on the Okanagan Connector and the Coquihalla Highway from Merritt to Hope as the snow levels lower overnight. Forecasters say 2-4 centimetres could fall on the Coquihalla while 1-2 cm is expected near the Pennask Summit. Accumulations are not expected just yet though, as precipitation will taper off overnight or Friday morning.

In town we can expect to see just above normal highs of 12 Celsius with rain and even possible thunderstorms today. Temperatures will drop to between 3-6 C overnight, which is still above seasonal normals of about 2 C.

Temperatures will stay in the same seasonal ranges Friday with a mix of sun and cloud and heading into the weekend we can expect more rain, but overnight lows of only 9 C on Saturday. Sunday night temperatures will drop to seasonal normals again, bringing a risk of snow at higher elevations.

Snow tires are required on B.C. highways from Oct. 1 through March 31.

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.