iN TRAFFIC: Snow and slippery sections on Thompson-Okanagan highways

Light snow that fell on much of the Thompson-Okanagan region this morning, Nov. 21, is making many roads slippery and slushy. That’s expected to get worse with up to 5 cm of snow expected over the Coquihalla Highway tonight. That snow is forecast to hit valley bottoms as well, with...

iN TRAFFIC: Snow and slippery sections on Thompson-Okanagan highways

Light snow that fell on much of the Thompson-Okanagan region this morning, Nov. 21, is making many roads slippery and slushy.

That’s expected to get worse with up to 5 cm of snow expected over the Coquihalla Highway tonight. That snow is forecast to hit valley bottoms as well, with 2 cm forecast for Kamloops by Tuesday morning.

DriveBC warns of slippery sections for 100 km from nine kilometres north of the Coquihalla Summit to 8 km north of the Surrey Lake Summit.

There’s also construction to contend with this week on the Coquihalla Highway.

Utility work is planned for Exit 228, the Coquihalla Lakes Road, from 8:30 a.m. today through Dec. 2. There will be lane closures with three-minute delays in the northbound lanes.

Work is planned between Exit 202 (Portia) and Exit 228 (Coquihalla Lakes Road) for almost 27 km. The right lane will be closed northbound through Dec. 2.

There will also be road work from 13 km to 3 km south of Kamloops from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a northbound lane closure.

DriveBC reported slippery and slushy sections on Highway 1 from 6 km east of Kamloops to 15 east of Chase early this morning.

There were slippery sections for most of the Okanagan Connector with compact snow between the Pennask Summit and West Kelowna.

Slushy sections continued along Highway 97 through Kelowna to Coldstream.

Highway 3 had slippery sections from 32 km west of Princeton to Hedley.

The snow is not likely to melt today as Kamloops and Kelowna are expected to have highs of only -2 Celsius, Vernon -3 C and Penticton 0 C.

The skies are forecast to clear to a mix of sun and cloud in Kamloops and the Okanagan today.

Snow is expected to start after midnight in Kamloops with accumulations of 2 cm. Later it will hit Vernon and Kelowna has a 60% chance of flurries. No snow is forecast for Penticton.

At the ski hills, Big White has a 72 cm alpine base and it was -2 C at about 6:30 a.m. Sun Peaks has 47 cm and a temperature of -4 C at the top of the mountain. Silver Star has 74 cm.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.