Kamloops Storm January 2015
UPDATE: Snow day in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Today was supposed to be the first day back after winter break, but students in Kamloops are instead starting the new year with a snow day after heavy snowfall Sunday. School District 73 Supt. Karl de Bruijn says the unprecedented snowfall has made many roads impassable and staff have been unable to get...
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...
IN TWEETS: How the heavy snowfall is affecting Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - Schools are closed, transit buses are delayed, garbage pickup is slow going and only a few side streets will likely be plowed before mid-week. Yes, it’s a snow day in Kamloops. The city has been running snow-clearing equipment 24 hours and Public Works Director Jen Fretz says they have even hired contractors to...
UPDATE: Second day of school closures in Kamloops, TRU reopens
KAMLOOPS - After two days of almost constant snow, School District 73 will close schools for a second day on Tuesday, Jan. 6 though Thompson Rivers University is set to reopen. At 6:30 a.m. Monday the school district made the decision to keep schools closed because of the heavy snow and by later in the...
Winter storm shuts down highways
BACK TO SEASONAL NORMALS BY END OF DAY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A winter storm warning is over for much of the Southern Interior, but it has left toppled trees, black ice and high avalanche risk in its wake. A winter storm warning remains in place for the Shuswap and regions north and east of the Shuswap,...
Kamloops Airport cleaning up after storm
KAMLOOPS - There were nine flight cancellations at the airport Sunday and Monday but the break in the storm means flights are back to normal and crews have been able to start cleanup on additional taxiways. A total of 35 centimetres fell at Kamloops Airport over the course of the storm and airport manager Fred...
UPDATE: Freezing rain warning ends for Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - A freezing rain warning issued earlier this afternoon for Kamloops has ended Kamloops is still digging out after early 40 centimetres of snow fell at the Kamloops Airport over the course of the snow storm Sunday and Monday. Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning shortly after noon with temperatures set to remain...
School back on in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - In case there was any doubt in your mind, yes schools are set to reopen in School District 73 Wednesday after two snow days in a row. Students have been out of school since Dec. 19 when winter break began. Schools were ready to reopen Monday, Jan. 5 but Mother Nature had other...
Most of Thompson-Okanagan well shy of record snowfall amounts
ONLY KELOWNA COMES CLOSE THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Nearly enough snow fell on Kelowna to set new two-day snowfall records this week but it was nowhere near the amount that fell on Penticton in 1932. The storm began late Saturday evening and had ended in much of the region by Monday evening. After two days of solid...
How the school district plans to handle snow days
KAMLOOPS - After Kamloops students received unprecedented snow days at the beginning of January some parents and staff were left frustrated with a lack of clear policy, but with an emergency procedure policy set to be adopted next week expectations on future snow days should be a little more clear cut. School District 73 is...
Clean up after snow storm costs city $400,000
KAMLOOPS - Between regular city staffing hours, overtime, hiring contractors and the cost of hauling snow about a quarter of the snow removal budget has already been spent less than two weeks into the new year. Public Works Director Jen Fretz says the city spent $160,000 on regular staffing and another $240,000 on overtime, contractors...
Fast melt following massive snow a concern
KAMLOOPS - The next challenge the city could face following this week's snow storm is coping with rapid melting as temperatures rise. It has been more than 87 years since Kamloops has seen two-day snowfall amounts nearing the 40 centimetre mark and the storm had city crews scrambling to keep up earlier this week. The...
There is an end in sight to the snow
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – It’s been a long time since the Thompson-Okanagan received such a massive dump of snow in such a short time. “It has been quite an amazing snowfall so far,” Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Coldwells says. By 10 a.m. Monday, we were looking at amounts which ranged from 25 centimetres in the South Okanagan,...
Snow impacting flights at Kamloops Airport
KAMLOOPS – The winter storm making it’s way through the Southern Interior Sunday is delaying or cancelling flights at the Kamloops Airport. The snow, which is expected to taper off Monday morning, is creating visibility problems for the aircraft. So far, a flight from Vancouver has been cancelled and one delayed, while a flight from...