Elevate your local knowledge
Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!
Okanagan
Wintery week ahead in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - With a snowfall warning in place and cooler temperatures in the forecast, the Okanagan is in for a wintery start to the last week of November. Yesterday, Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for the South and North Thompson, Shuswap and North Okanagan regions, saying snowfall would begin overnight and continue through today, Nov....
Gas prices steady in the Okanagan while Kamloops prices drop
OKANAGAN - While gas prices were trending downwards earlier this week drivers in the Okanagan didn’t get a break, unless they were up in Kamloops where prices dipped well below a dollar per litre. According to Gas Buddy, an online consumer reporting website, gas prices are currently in the 107.9 to 109.9 cents per litre...
Cool and sunny weekend ahead in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - Temperatures are expected to be slightly below seasonal normals with just a few clouds in the sky this weekend in the Okanagan. Environment Canada is calling for highs of just -1 Celsius to 2 C throughout the weekend, a bit below seasonal normals of 3 C. An overnight low of -8 C is...
Buying local, without leaving home, a popular choice for Okanagan holiday shoppers
OKANAGAN - It’s already well known that online shopping has taken over a large piece of the Christmas retail pie, but that doesn’t mean people are giving up on buying local to fill the stockings this Christmas. You don’t have to go out to a farmer’s market or holiday craft fair to buy local, you...
Heavy snow and rain expected on Southern Interior highways today
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you’re heading out on the highways be prepared for winter driving conditions; heavy snow and rain, along with strong winds, are expected today. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for many highways in the Southern Interior warning of heavy snow, heavy rain and strong winds today, Nov. 17. Among the...
Highway 1 closed east of Revelstoke
REVELSTOKE - An early morning crash has closed the Trans-Canada Highway in both directions east of Revelstoke. Drive B.C. is reporting both directions closed 32 kilometres east of Revelstoke due to a vehicle incident just after 6 a.m. No detours are available. Compact snow with slippery sections and limited visibility with blowing snow is being...
Leonid Meteor Shower could light up the Southern Interior sky this week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If the clouds part and the rain stays away, we could be in for a great showing of the Leonid Meteor Shower early Wednesday morning. The moon, currently in the waning crescent phase, is not expected to interfere with viewing the storm, but cloudy skies and a chance of rain overnight could dampen...
Two separate crashes close Coquihalla south of Merritt
MERRITT - Two separate crashes on the Coquihalla Highway have shut down the route this morning from Merritt to Hope. The first crash occurred around 9:45 a.m. at the Coldwater Interchange, exit 286, at the south end of Merritt, closing down the southbound lanes. No detours are listed by Drive B.C. and an estimated time...
Wet and windy start to the week in the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - On the heels of a wet and windy Sunday, a mix of rain and snow will kick off the week in the Okanagan, along with strong winds. Environment Canada recorded precipitation throughout the region on Sunday, with the Vernon area receiving the most, 13.8 millimetres, and more rain and snow is expected this...
Hot weather, wildfires and changes in agriculture mean less Okanagan honey in the pot
OKANAGAN - An abnormally hot and dry summer appears to have had an unwelcome impact on Okanagan honey production. Helen Kennedy, who runs Arlo’s Honey Farm in Kelowna with her husband Rick Appel, says the season started off with an unusually early honey flow in May, likely due to above average spring temperatures. A productive...
Alpine ski season begins with opening of Big White, others not far behind
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Big White Ski Resort has officially opened for alpine skiing and several other local ski hills aren’t far behind. Big White opened today, Nov. 13, about two weeks ahead of schedule for alpine skiing, while Silver Star Mountain opened for nordic skiing yesterday and Sun Peaks Resort welcomed ski teams for alpine training...
Rainy weekend ahead in the Okanagan, avalanche risk increases in southeastern B.C.
OKANAGAN - A storm system skirting much of the region will move on this morning, though a weekend of rain is still in store for the Okanagan. The strongest winds came in the Penticton area yesterday, Nov. 12, with Environment Canada recording strong wind gusts since yesterday morning and the strongest reaching in excess of...
Storm moving over Southern Interior today
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A powerful storm bringing strong winds and heavy rain or snow is set to hit the Southern Interior by this evening. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the South Thompson and South Okanagan, as well as several area highways, warning the storm will hit the Central Interior this afternoon, Nov....
Never forget: Students give us something to think about this Remembrance Day
“THE SOLDIERS… DESERVE TO BE REMEMBERED AND HONOURED” THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Remembrance Day is a long-honoured tradition of remembering the sacrifices of so many Canadians, but in a day and age where war isn’t at the forefront of every home, what do kids think Remembrance Day is all about? Students at Pacific Way Elementary in Kamloops...
Heavy snow coming to a Southern Interior highway near you
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you are planning to hit the highways over the next couple of days make sure you are prepared to deal with winter conditions, including gusty winds and heavy snow. Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Coquihalla Highway and Highway 3 warning up to 20 centimetres of snow could...
Watch for Taurids fireballs, northern lights over the Southern Interior this week
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The Taurid meteor shower is one of the longer meteor showers, running from September through December every year, but this year it could be more active than usual with the possibility of fireballs tearing through the sky later this week. The Taurid meteor shower only produces about five to 10 meteors per hours...
Chance of snow in the Okanagan this week
OKANAGAN - A system moving through the Southern Interior coated mountain passes in heavy snow this weekend and early this week the white stuff could hit the valleys too. Between 14 and 17 centimetres of snow is being reported on the ground at Pennask Summit, Coquihalla Summit and Allison Pass this morning after receiving a...
The Halloween hotspot you don’t want to miss in Vernon
VERNON - Most people carve a couple pumpkins, buy a bag of candy and call Halloween a wrap. Nathan Phillips and his girlfriend Kerrie Wheeler need a storage unit for all their Halloween decor. “I’ve liked Halloween ever since I was a kid,” Phillips says. “It’s kind of like my Christmas.” What started out as...
Keeping safe on Halloween night
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The first thing that comes to mind on Halloween is safety, at least for parents. Kids are only thinking about the candy and costumes, but there are ways to help keep them safe on Halloween night, even if it’s the last thing on their minds. Always make sure young children are accompanied by...
Halloween will be a wet one in the Okanagan this year
OKANAGAN - Make sure your costumes are either waterproof or you have an umbrella handy because Mother Nature is looking to rain on your Halloween fun this weekend. Environment Canada is calling for at least a chance of rain throughout the weekend, with showers expected Saturday evening throughout the region. Temperatures are expected to be...
Local prejudice against Muslims tackled at UBCO
'IF WE DON'T SPEAK ABOUT THESE ISSUES... WE START DEVELOPING ALL THESE MISCONCEPTIONS.' KELOWNA - A UBC Okanagan graduate is organizing a forum on campus to address some of the misconceptions about his religion that are clearly still a problem in Kelowna. Adnan Akiel Ahmad Bhat holds a masters in electrical engineering from the Okanagan...
Local ski hills are growing white
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - While some of us are still holding on to the last strings of warmer weather, those looking forward to skiing and snowboarding will be happy to know the snow is falling at area ski hills. All three of the big ski hills in the area — Sun Peaks, Silver Star Mountain and Big...
Everything you wish you didn’t need to know about rats in the Thompson-Okanagan
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Just a few years ago, Thompson-Okanagan residents didn’t have to worry about rats invading attic spaces or chewing up electrical wires, simply because the rodent was a rarity in these parts. That's all changed. Steve Ball owns BugMaster Pest Control, which services the North, Central and South Okanagan, and he says rat complaints...
Wet fall week ahead for the Okanagan
OKANAGAN - A mixed bag of weather — cloud, rain and sun — is expected in the Okanagan for the last week of October. Environment Canada is calling for temperature highs at or just above seasonal normals of 9 Celsius throughout the region all week, with the warmest temperatures expected today, Oct. 26. Overnight lows...