Travellers be wary as you gear up for your Christmas vacations. If you're heading out Saturday afternoon to visit family, it's important to take the proper winter precautions and drive according to conditions. Be sure to double check with Environment Canada and DriveBC before getting on the highway this weekend.
As you start planning your winter ventures, here's a quick update on road conditions at the moment.
According to Environment Canada, the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Kelowna will see periods of snow Saturday morning. Accumulating approximately five centimetres of flurries, the snow level on the connector is expected to rise up to 1,300 metres by Saturday afternoon. Winds barreling eastbound will be strong at 40 kilometres an hour.
Photo credit: contributed.
Heading into Saturday evening, the connector is expected to become a wet mess as snow is mixed with rain. Take extreme caution on the roads, as they will be slippery.
The Coquihalla Highway in both directions isn't much better. Travelling from Merritt to Hope or from the direction of Merritt to Kamloops, drivers can expect periods of snowfall mixed with rain Saturday morning and into the afternoon. Environment Canada predicts at least five to ten centimetres of snowfall for the Coquihalla on Saturday.
If you're driving the Coquihalla, it's a good idea to begin your journey as early as possible as Saturday evening will see at least ten to 15 centimetres of rainfall for that region.
In the Merritt to Kamloops region, expect snow and strong winds, gusting up to 60 kilometres Saturday morning.
If you're venturing up north Saturday via Trans Canada Highway, expect limited visibility with cloud coverage and a 60 per cent chance of flurries. The snow will begin to blanket the Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass Saturday afternoon. Drivers be wary of heavy snowfall at times, approximately 15 to 20 centimetres.
Environment Canada has issued a storm warning for this weekend; check out the original story here.
Photo credit: Google Maps.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.
