The first snow of the season in Kamloops on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013.
Image Credit: Jennifer Stahn
November 02, 2013 - 10:57 AM
MORE SNOW THAN FIRST THOUGHT FALLS IN MOUNTAIN PASSES
KAMLOOPS – While half a glass of water is an excellent way to tell the optimists from the pessimists, the first snowfall of the season works too.
Some are pleased to see the first flakes fall from the sky as they get their skis out of storage and dream of the slopes or dress warmly and run outside and build a snowman.
Others look out the window, scream an epitaph, and return to their warm beds hoping it was just a bad dream.
The neighbourhoods at higher elevations in Kamloops received a dusting of snow overnight, and residents in areas like Aberdeen, are waking up to snow in their yards.
The rest of the major population centres in the Thompson-Okanagan were getting a hard, cold rain.
Environment Canada has updated the special weather statement it issued Friday.
The meteorologists are expecting a lot more snow on the mountain passes in the Southern Interior Saturday than originally predicted.
Highway 97C, at Highland Valley Rd, north of Merritt.
Image Credit: Drivebc.ca
We can blame a low pressure system for the rain and snow. As it tracks inland from the coast, it will draw cooler air from the Central Interior south into our neck of the woods. That means lower snow levels and heavy snow in the mountain passes.
Ten to 20 cm of snow are expected Saturday on:
- The Coquihalla from Hope through Merritt to Kamloops
- The Okanagan Connector
- Highway 3 through from Hope to Princeton, including the Allison Pass
- Highway 3 from the Paulson Summit to the Kootenay Pass
- The TransCanada Highway from Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass
- Highway 97 from Clinton 100 Mile House including the Begbie Summit.
Trucks pulling over Saturday to reassess the situation on the Coq.
Image Credit: Twitter/Sheridan Moss @torgamus
Most of the snow is falling on the Pennask Summit on the Connector and over the Kootenay Pass on Highway 3. Those areas could get upwards of 30 cm of snow by Saturday evening.
The rain is forecast to let up a bit on Sunday, with mostly scattered showers predicted. By Monday, the sun will be out to give us a break from the rain and clouds, which return on Tuesday.
To contact the reporter for this story, email halexander@infotelnews.ca or call 250-491-0331.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013