Okanagan

Why this Okanagan woman took not one, but 12 polar bear dips

OKANAGAN - If you thought this week’s Polar Bear Swim participants were nuts, you won’t believe what this Okanagan mom has been doing for the past three months. Along with her sister and 14-year-old daughter, Kelowna resident Mix Hart has been taking a dip in Okanagan Lake once a week for the past 12 weeks....

Meteors, comets and planets kick off new year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Night owls and sky lovers get prepared to celebrate the new year in style, between the Comet Lovejoy and the Quadrantid meteor shower will both be visible this weekend. The Quadrantid meteor shower will peak early in the morning of Saturday, Jan. 3, but a nearly full moon and forecasted cloud cover will...

Winter storm developing this weekend

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A winter storm set to hit the Southern Interior by Sunday could bring snowfall in excess of 25 centimetres at highway passes and could see snow turn to freezing rain in town. Friday morning Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for much of the Central and Southern Interior, including the Coquihalla Highway,...

Singing the stories of the Southern Interior

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Our region has long been a destination spot in Canada, and back before the Internet made it easy to share stories and pictures of your travels, music was used to share the beauty of our land. Tourism companies put out records with a single on the region, or even a specific city, while...

Avalanche risk high in North Columbia

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - As the winter break comes to an end, the temperatures are warming up and the snow is ready to fall. You may be thinking about heading out for some winter but be prepared if heading into the backcountry, avalanche risk is considered high in some areas and is at least considerable in most...

NEWSMAKERS 2014: Okanagan rail corridor makes history

THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR. TODAY: NUMBER TWO VERNON - This year, Okanagan municipalities made history by signing a deal with the Canadian National Railway to buy a nearly 50-kilometer long corridor between Vernon and Kelowna. The scenic stretch of land came available after the Kelowna Pacific...

Hot summer weather just a memory

BUT WILL BE BACK SOONER THAN YOU THINK THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Winter is officially here. Much of the region is covered in snow and Mother Nature decided to plunge us into a deep cold once again. With that in mind we decided to take a look back at just how hot our summer weather was in...

Second round of Ebola tests negative

KELOWNA - A second set of Ebola tests being conducting on an Interior Health nurse practitioner have returned negative, but a third and final test will still need to be done before she is given the all clear. Patrice Gordon returned from helping to treat Ebola patients in Sierra Leone on Christmas Day and it...

Weather warming up for new year

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - We’ll still be facing temperatures below seasonal normals, but it will be several degrees warmer for New Year’s Day than it has been over the past few days in the Southern Interior. According to Environment Canada temperatures will reach a high of between -8 Celsius and -5 C today and by the first...

Avalanche warning extended

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If backcountry play is in your New Year’s plan be prepared, an avalanche warning issued to the public on Christmas Day has been extended to include the Whistler and Pemberton area, and is now in effect until Sunday, Jan. 4. Throughout our region avalanche risk is considered moderate below the treeline but increases...

UPDATE: Ebola tests on patient in Kelowna ‘negative’

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Interior Health has confirmed a patient is in isolation at Kelowna General Hospital while being tested for the Ebola virus. Patrice Gordon, a nurse practitioner with Interior Health, was in Sierra Leone earlier this month to help treat Ebola patients. She returned this week and soon after began showing signs consistent with the...

Team Canada prepares for New Year’s Eve battle

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - On Wednesday afternoon all eyes will be on the World Junior Championship tournament in Montreal as Team Canada takes on Team United States in the final round robin game for the two teams. Canada is 3-0 in the first three games and went 2-1 during exhibition play after an overtime loss to Russia...

NEWSMAKERS 2014: Okanagan rail corridor makes history

THIS WEEK, INFONEWS.CA IS COUNTING DOWN THE TOP FIVE STORIES OF 2014. TODAY: NUMBER FIVE KELOWNA - Okanagan municipalities making history by signing a deal with the Canadian National Railway to buy a nearly 50-kilometer long corridor between Vernon and Kelowna. The scenic stretch of land came available after the Kelowna Pacific Railway announced bankruptcy...

Cold weather and wind move in

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Pull the scarves and gloves back out, the cold weather is back and by tonight much of the region will be at least 10 degrees lower than seasonal normals. According to Environment Canada, temperatures will drop to -10 Celsius by this afternoon in Kamloops and winds will increase to 50 gusting to 70...

Local players ready to represent at World Junior Championship

GET YOUR RED AND WHITE JERSEYS READY THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Four members of Team Canada will be doing their best to represent local hockey at the World Junior Championship in Ontario and Quebec as the tournament officially gets underway on Boxing Day. Ottawa Senator Curtis Lazar, of Vernon, is one of only two current National Hockey...

CHRISTMAS PAST: Memories from our newsroom

Remember the joy in carefully crafting presents in class for your parents? The excitement to see a gift under the tree with your name on it? How about getting dressed up in awful, and often matching outfits to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Christmas? At Christmas we often take the time to reminisce...

Heavy snow expected on highway passes, avalanche risk high

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - The avalanche risk is considered high throughout most of the region with large to very large human-triggered avalanches a main concern for forecasters over the next week. Avalanche Canada upgraded the risk to high from considerable in the treeline and alpine areas of the Kootenay Boundary and North and South Columbia regions late...

IN TWEETS: We’re all waiting for a white Christmas

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Kamloops residents woke up to a skiff of snow on Christmas Eve, but for the last two weeks, people across the Okanagan have been enjoying warmer than normal temperatures. It's been both a blessing and a curse. Not worrying about warming up your car and slipping on the ice is nice, but without...

Slight chance for slightly white Christmas

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you have been dreaming of a white Christmas don’t give up hope just yet: Mother Nature could still come through with the gift of your dreams. Environment Canada is calling for a chance of flurries tonight in Kamloops, Vernon and Kelowna while Penticton could see rain this afternoon. Snow could begin in...

COSAR tips for back country travel

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – With the risk of avalanche slowly increasing over the last week in the regions surrounding the Thompson-Okanagan, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue have some tips to help keep you safe in the back country. Avalanche.ca reports the risk of avalanche to be “considerable” in the Kootenay Boundary and South and North Columbia regions....

Get your winter driving face on for holiday travel

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you have travel plans over the next couple of days give yourself a little more time, and not just because of the amount of holiday traffic that usually files down the highway at this time of year. The next 24 hours could bring a lot of snow as well. Environment Canada is...

B.C. wildfires, cold and heat make list of top 2014 weather stories

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You would expect that temperature would play a big part in a list of top weather stories, but unlike in previous years Environment Canada says our long, cold winter was the attention grabber in 2014. It was such a cold winter that much of the country remained cooler than usual throughout the summer...

Chances of a white Christmas slim

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you live in Penticton, you only have a 36 per cent chance of seeing a white Christmas in town, but in Vernon you have an 88 per cent chance. The current forecast is offering very little hope for a white Christmas through most of the region, unless you plan on heading up...

Low gas prices a present at the pump

PLAN A KAMLOOPS PIT STOP TO FILL UP THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Spent a little too much on gifts this year? You might still come out flush on your holiday budget thanks to the dropping prices at gas pumps around the country. For those that plan to drive during the holidays gas prices are often a thing...