Travel advisories in effect for highways

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Heavy snowfall is limiting visibility on several Interior highways leading Drive B.C. to put out a travel advisory for both Highway 5 and Highway 97C.

The Coquihalla Highway between Merritt and Kamloops and the Okanagan Connector both have travel advisories as of 8:30 a.m. Drive B.C. asks travellers to consider alternate plans or to allow additional time.

As of 6 a.m. more than 28 centimetres of snow had fallen at the Pennask Summit and 26 cm at Helmer Lake on Highway 5 in the past 24 hours. An additional 10 to 15 cm is expected today.

Other highways are also under heavy snowfall and have compact snow with slippery sections.

A winter storm warning that could bring heavy snowfall and freezing rain remains in effect for most of the Southern Interior today. Highway 1 west of Revelstoke was also closed for a couple of hours Monday morning as crews work at avalanche control.

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.