Heavy snowfall warnings issued for Thompson and Okanagan

Don’t be fooled by snow easing off this morning followed by some sunny breaks.

More snow, as much as 30 cm in higher elevations, is forecast by Environment Canada to start this evening, Jan. 5, and continue into tomorrow morning.

“An intense Pacific frontal system is forecast to move into southwestern B.C. this evening,” states the Environment Canada warning. “Snow, at times heavy, will begin this evening and continue into Thursday morning before easing off to flurries in the afternoon. Rapidly accumulating snow may affect the Thursday morning commute.”

The heaviest snow is expected to be along the Coquihalla Highway from Merritt to Kamloops.

By Thursday morning the snow on the Coquihalla from Hope to Merritt and Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton may turn to freezing rain.

Warnings also cover the entire Okanagan, Nicola, South Thompson, Shuswap, Similkameen, Fraser Canyon and Boundary regions with snow accumulations of up to 20 cm at higher elevations.

These warnings follow on the heels of special weather statements issued yesterday for much of the region.

READ MORE: Special weather statements call for heavy snowfall tonight in Kamloops, Okanagan

Daytime highs in Kamloops are expected to only reach -13 Celsius today, -6 C tomorrow with flurries and snow continuing into Saturday. Sunday is looking to be sunny with a high of 0 C.

In the North and Central Okanagan daytime highs today are forecast to be -8 C and -7 C tomorrow. While it also looks to be sunny on Sunday, the high is only forecast to be -2 C.

Penticton should be a bit warmer with a high of -5 C today and 0 C tomorrow but still -2 C on Sunday.

There are weather warnings throughout most of B.C. Prince George, for example, has an extreme cold warning with wind chills dropping to -40 C while Victoria is looking at up to 25 cm of snow.

See more warnings here.

Alpine base at regional ski hills:

• 149 cm. – Sun Peaks
• 143 cm. – Silver Star
• 150 cm. – Big White
• 157 cm. – Apex

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