More snow making driving a challenge on Coquihalla Highway today

It's definitely winter driving conditions on upper elevation highways in the southern Interior today and it's going to get worst before it gets better as up to 15 centimetres of new snow is expected to fall.

Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist says a low pressure system moving through the region is to blame.

By late this afternoon, Nov. 30, the Coquihalla Highway from Merritt to Hope could see between 10 to 15 cm of snow, while the stretch from Kamloops to Merritt is expecting between five to seven. Up to 10 centimetres of snow could fall on the Okanagan Connector.

There’s not much rain or snow forecast for the valley bottoms today with a 60 per cent chance of showers in Kamloops, periods of rain expected in Vernon and Kelowna, and a 40 per cent chance of showers in Penticton.

A ridge of high pressure is expected to build following today’s precipitation, which Lundquist says should lead to a sunny day tomorrow.

READ  MORE: The under-appreciated weather phenomenon that makes for mild winters in Kamloops, Okanagan

However, the rest of the week could see the Okanagan under a winter inversion, with layers of stratus cloud blanketing the valley from Wednesday into the weekend.

Lundquist also cautions motorists to be aware of rime icing on roads later in the week. Rime ice forms when water droplets freeze on highway and other surfaces.

“That stratus layer could cause icing on highways where the cloud touches the mountainside, resulting in some isolated but extremely slick driving conditions,” he says.

“That scenario actually worries me more than today’s snow, because people are used to driving in it and know how to avoid it. The potential for these icing conditions can be very difficult to predict when driving,” he says.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.