Okanagan
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...
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....
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...
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...
The new way to put up Christmas lights in Vernon? Hire someone
VERNON - At age 10, Nicholas Moffat was helping his mom with the magical and much anticipated Christmas display at Art Knapps, something they began planning three months ahead of time. Now, many years later with kids of his own, the businessman has found a way to keep doing what he loves. The only difference?...
Trial date set for former Vernon mountie facing child porn charges
VERNON - A former Vernon cop will stand trial in B.C. Supreme Court next March. Ryan Hampton, 35, faces nine charges, including possessing and accessing child pornography. He was arrested in June 2013 and subsequently suspended from the force. He has since resigned from the RCMP. Hampton will be tried before judge alone starting March...
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...
Cooler, wet forecast could help Thompson-Okanagan fire crews
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A little help is in the forecast for fire crews this week as Mother Nature dials down the temperatures and throws in a little rain. While temperatures will be near normal (26-29 Celsius) across the region for the next two days we can also expect to see rain today with a 40 per...
VIDEO: Smith Creek fire from above and by the numbers
KELOWNA - Take a guess: How much water have fire crews dropped on the Smith Creek fire over the past week and a half? Would you believe more than 1.2 million litres? As of Monday morning helicopters had flown more than 100 hours, skimmers had dropped more than 300 loads of water and foam and...
Snow to impact holiday travel this weekend
HEAVY SNOW FORECAST FOR COQUIHALLA THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - If you were planning to hit the highways this weekend to visit family and friends, or to head out of town to get your last minute shopping done, beware, Environment Canada is warning of a storm system moving over the Interior highways. Snow is already falling this morning...
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...
Kamloops teachers, protesters welcome Clark and cabinet with loud rally
KAMLOOPS - The atmosphere was one of celebration as Premier Christy Clark and her cabinet sat in on a luncheon in Kamloops Wednesday, though outside teachers gathered to continue the rally for a better education system. “A lot of the issues around public education still remain,” David Komljenovic, president of the local teachers’ union and...
Top Gear to film in the Okanagan
PENTICTON - Local fans of the British television show Top Gear will be happy to know the series will be shooting highway footage in the South Okanagan and Boundary regions for the popular show. Filming begins in the latter part of November, according to a media release from the Okanagan Film Commission. The group in...
A photo to remember: Hollywood stars pose with North Okanagan locals
VERNON - They’re not exactly keeping a low profile. Actors Sir Anthony Hopkins, Julia Stiles and Ray Liotta have been out and about over the last few weeks, graciously posing for photo after photo with local people. And they don’t seem to mind it. Either they’re really good at acting off set, or the three...
PHOTOS: Top decorating tips for the holidays
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You have a tree. You have some ornaments. Maybe you even have some garland and ribbon. But if you are not sure what to do next, do not worry, we have some of the hottest tips from local designers to make sure your home is looking its best this holiday season. Kathy Underwood...