Okanagan

Ringo Starr to play in Penticton

PENTICTON - If you are on tour celebrating the release of an album named Postcards From Paradise, it only makes sense Penticton would be one of your stops. Former Beatle Ringo Starr is touring with his All-Starr Band and is making Penticton just one of three B.C. stops, and one of only eight Canadian tour...

Wet start to spring in Southern Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Spring has officially sprung and based on the forecast, you should have your umbrella and rain boots handy. Some in the region woke to rain Friday, March 20, and Environment Canada is calling for more over the next few days. A chance of rain begins today throughout the region and Saturday will bring...

Another chance to see northern lights tonight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you weren’t able to find a clear spot to view the northern lights yesterday, or the day before, tonight might finally be your night. There were major storm intervals in the past 24 hours, according to Natural Resources Canada reports, and the auroras are expected to be active with stormy intervals over...

Auroras flare, northern lights possible tonight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you can find a break in the clouds tonight you may be able to catch the tail end of a major northern lights storm that started early this morning. Natural Resources Canada reports the auroras were on the verge of a major storm just north of the Thompson-Okanagan earlier this morning and...

Avalanche risk increases on heels of windy, wet weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - With spring break officially underway for students and spring-like temperatures throughout the region it may feel like spring in the valleys but this past weekend proved winter is not over just yet. On Saturday a wind storm ripped through the region, leaving thousands without power, and while B.C. Hydro crews raced to fix...

Don’t forget to book your camping sites this weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you decide to sleep in this Sunday you might miss out on the summer you’ve been dreaming of. The online and call centre reservation system for provincial campgrounds officially opens Sunday, March 15 at 9 a.m. Reservable sites tend to book up quickly, especially at the more popular campgrounds and for long...

Another record day in the Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This will probably come as little surprise, but it was another record day in the Southern Interior, with a handful of communities setting new records Thursday. At 19.6 Celsius Penticton just surpassed a century-old record Thursday while Summerland hit 19 C, well above the previous high temperature record of 16.7 C also set...

High temperature records continue to fall

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Though the spring equinox is still just over a week away the spring-like weather has resulted in temperatures reaching the mid- to high-teens most days this past week, warm enough for several new records. On Wednesday, March 11, Kamloops hit 19.9 Celsius, shattering previous weather records of 17.8 C last recorded back in...

More high temperature records in Southern Interior

SNOW FORECAST FOR HIGHWAYS THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - One more day of record weather was had this week before temperatures dropped slightly in the Southern Interior. While the entire region hit temperatures in the mid-teens Tuesday, March 10, at 15.6 Celsius, Vernon was one of the lucky ones in setting a new high temperature record for the...

Seasonal flooding unlikely this year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If the lack of snow, even at alpine levels, is any indication, we could be in for a very dry year. The River Forecast Centre is reporting all but two snow basins are below normal as of March 1. The North and South Thompson basins are near-normal at 96 per cent and 91...

Okanagan Spirits headed to Denmark for another World Spirit Awards

OKANAGAN – A local distillery has been called to Denmark to hear if they will once again be called out as one of the best in the world. Okanagan Spirits was named World Spirits Award Distillery of the Year in 2013 and Senior distiller Peter von Hahn is on his way to Denmark this week...

Near-record temperatures to continue

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Clocks sprung forward and temperatures soared into the mid-teens this weekend and while the spring-like weather did not result in any record-breaking temperatures the warm weather will continue as we get closer to the official start of spring. For the most part temperatures fell a couple degrees shy of records, though a high...

Wildfire risk a concern this weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - People are urged to be cautious with any open burning this weekend as we get set to experience warmer temperatures and a continued early drying trend. With temperatures set to hit the double digits every day over the next week, B.C. Wildfire warns there is an increased 'preventable' wildfire risk heading into the...

Warmer weather on the way

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’re back above seasonal normals as temperatures continue to climb into the double digits, though we are unlikely to break any warm weather records this weekend. According to Environment Canada temperatures in Kamloops and Penticton will reach 14 Celsius by Saturday while in Vernon and Kelowna temperatures will hit that mark by Sunday....

STAHN: Why we need more controlled burns in urban areas

Let me start by stating a simple fact we all need to understand — fire is natural. Not only is it natural, it is a much needed part of the ecological cycle. Regular fire is needed to keep noxious weeds at bay, to help encourage new growth and to keep wildfires from getting out of...

February home sales best in years says real estate board report

KELOWNA – After a disappointing start to 2015, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board is reporting a 34 per cent improvement in home sales in February compared with the same month in 2014. “After a more than usual slowdown in January, Okanagan-Shuswap home sales rallied along with consumer confidence during February despite weaker economic conditions...

Another showing of northern lights possible Monday

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The adventurous and the lucky were able to get a glimpse of the northern lights this weekend but there is still a chance of seeing them again tonight and this time Mother Nature might be a bit more cooperative. With Environment Canada calling for clear skies and Space Weather Canada calling for unsettled...

It’s back… snow expected overnight

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We just knew it was too good to be true, Mother Nature is set to remind us winter is not quite over with a couple centimetres of snow by Friday morning and well below normal low temperatures early next week. Environment Canada is forecasting high temperatures to be within the seasonal normals of...

Early spring weather means early return of ticks

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - This spring-like weather may have you enjoying the outdoors with a hike or two, but beware, ticks are already out in full force. Hikers and dog owners are already reporting tick sightings, with one Kamloops-area hiker picking up nine in a single hike last week. In the Southern Interior the most common tick...

Spring-like weather may be interrupted by snow

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’ve been experiencing spring-like weather here in the Southern Interior and while that is not set to change we may see another blitz of snow before Saturday. Environment Canada is still calling for above seasonal normal temperatures during the day but with overnight lows close to seasonal normals of -3 Celsius and a...

How long will this spring weather last?

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We saw several high temperatures records broken over the weekend and while the record breaking weather is likely over, the warm temperatures should stick around a while longer. Lisa Coldwells of Environment Canada says looking into the early part of March arctic air will stay on the other side of the Rockies and...

Okanagan window painter bringing a little cheer to city streets

VERNON - Bernie DiDiT—the cartoonist behind window paintings all the way from Armstrong to Keremeos—likes to make people smile. The quirky 60-year-old loves bringing a little cheer to city storefronts during events like the Armstrong IPE, Vernon Winter Carnival and May long weekend in Keremeos. “When someone comes along and says wow, that’s cool—that pat...

Top 7 romantic places in Vernon

VERNON - From postcard perfect lake views to snow covered mountains, this picturesque valley we call home has no shortage of lovely locales. This Valentine’s Day, we’ve decided to celebrate the romantic locations our city boasts, and to help us round up the top seven we caught up with some local photographers. Who better to...

Near-record temperatures on tap for Valentine’s Day weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you were hoping for cooler weather as an excuse to cuddle up with your Valentine this weekend you may have to look for a different excuse. Environment Canada is calling for near-record high temperatures Friday through Sunday, with Penticton the most likely city to set a new record. Penticton is expecting highs...