It’s looking like it’ll be a white Christmas in Kamloops, Okanagan

It's shaping up to be a white Christmas in the Okanagan and Kamloops this year.

An Arctic chill is flowing into the Kamloops area today and will continue behind the falling snow down through the Okanagan later in the day. That’s bringing an end to the snowfall that has, or will, dump about five centimetres of snow throughout the region.

The cold front will cause temperatures to drop to about -12 Celsius overnight, Dec. 16, with a high of only about -8 C on Friday before warming up and bringing more snow.

“The storm Friday night and into Saturday is the more intense one,” Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist told iNFOnews.ca. “I think, maybe, five to 10 centimetres of show with that so, probably, double what we’re seeing here today.

“The good news is, it’s not looking warm enough to melt things out. We’re going to be pretty close to average for this time of year for temperatures, which is unusual. Our average is a high of -2 C and a low of -7 C. The good thing about being close to average is it might mean the snow is going to stick for Christmas. I’m more confident than ever. With that amount of snow before Christmas, it’s looking pretty good.”

It’s too early to tell if there will be fresh snow for Christmas, he said.

AccuWeather shows only a 30% chance of snow showers in the region late next week.

The Friday and Saturday snowfall will likely be higher in the mountain passes, Lundquist said. He advised anyone traveling on the roads for Christmas to be prepared but to also pick their spots to avoid the worst of the snowfall.

The snow, of course, is welcome news for ski enthusiasts.

Base snow amounts at major ski resorts in the Thompson-Okanagan region:

• 130 cm – Big White
• 126 cm – Apex Mountain
• 123 cm – Silver Star
• 133 cm – Sun Peaks

READ MORE: Kamloops truck driver's advice: Don't take Highway 3 for your Christmas break

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submitphotos, videos or news tips to the newsroom 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.